Divine Ideas From a Demonic Mind: Buffy Edition
by TheDivineDemon
Summary: A series of One-shots to get rid of the over flow of ideas in my oxymoronic head. Hope you enjoy the chaos. *Mostly Xander Centered* If you feel like doing any of these feel free, just tell and credit me. I want to see these grow.
1. Just a Bite

**This is the first in a series of possible stories or ideas for stories that wouldn't leave my head. So I decided to write them down and see how they feel.**

**You guys can use any these ideas if you want, but if you do please tell me. I want to see these grow.**

**Please tell me what you think of each one. Be it praise or flame I welcome it.**

**Warning: All stories are on the rough side in plot and writing. **

***edited by Oxnate***

**Summary**: Events went slightly different at the end of Zeppo.

**Story#1: Just a bite**

* * *

Faith was tired.

First she got her ass kicked, kicked some ass, then she popped a decent cherry, and then after she got her ass kicked again stopping an apocalypse. It was a pretty wicked day all things considered but at the moment all she wanted to do was go back to her room, take a nice long shower and fall the fuck asleep.

But the sight that greeted her as she walked up to her door stopped any plans of that.

Blood.

A lot of it.

Coming out of a guy who was leaning against her door.

"Shit," She mumbled to herself, half stunned at the sight in front of her, and another half worried. If it was because of the injured guy or the fact he was probably attracting vampire attention from blocks around. But as she got closer and noticed who it was she started to have a different plain of thoughts.

"X!"

Shit.

What was he doing here?

What happened?

How did he get hurt?

Was she going to get the blame?

The prone figure of Xander Harris unsteadily raised his head to look up at the voice before smiling. "Faith!" The loss of blood was making him loopy... well loopier than usual. "There you are! I've been waiting for you!"

He tried to stand but found himself falling to his ass. Faith took the remaining steps over to him to help him up. "Geez X, what happened to you?"

Seemingly unhearing of her question he kept one talking, "Sorry. I wasn't this weak a minute ago. I managed to drive here fine enough" Now that she thought about it she did see a car crookedly double parked in the lot, "I even managed to get to your door, but you weren't there. So I waited but everything went black and then there you were!"

Faith shook her head while she unlocked the door to her room, it was probably better to get him inside before something tried to make them into a midnight snack.

As she sat him down on her bed his eyes started focus in and out like he was about to fall asleep at any second "Hey," she said snapping her fingers in his face "Hey! X stay awake. You need to tell me a few things before you haul off to lala land."

"Okay." He said blearily, extending the o more than necessary.

"Alright." she said pausing a moment to wonder what question to ask first "First we better see where you're hurt. So where are you bleeding?"

"I'm bleeding?"

Things weren't looking too good. He was probably in shock or something like it. She didn't know, she wasn't a doctor. So she just sighed and told him to take off his shirt, half expecting a stupid comment to come out his mouth.

It didn't come. He just obediently pulled off his T to show multiple puncture wounds on his shoulder. "Damn, what happened to you?" she asked while going to get her first aid kit.

"Zombies, I think... there was a bomb... something big and hairy... I can't really remember it all... It's fuzzy... Hard to think." He answered unsurely before hissing when the girl poured peroxide on his wounds. Faith just shook her head and wondered what the hell he was up to when she kicked him out earlier. Speaking of which.

"Why did you come here? Why not B's or the Hospital?"

His answer surprised her "Cause you don't think I'm worthless."

"What?" It was an automatic question. One that comes when you're surprised, something you don't mean to say out loud but comes anyway.

"Buffy thinks I'm worthless. Says I can't fight. Says I'm normal. Says I'm weak." While Faith would lean towards the normal comment nothing else really seemed to fit him. Sure he was a little klutzy in a fight but still got the job done. The only real problem she saw was the fact he seemed to have a death wish by jumping into the middle of the fight. It was nice that he wanted to help but he was not built to take as much punishment as the rest of them were. "And I didn't want a lecture so I didn't go to her... besides it'd probably freak Mrs. Summers out."

Faith gave a short snort at both mental pictures, even if the second one was more for the way he said it. "And the hospital?"

Xander shrugged, pissing Faith off since she just started to wrap his shoulder. "They'd call my parents."

"And that's bad because?" She may not be big on her own folks, her mom a druggie and her dad in jail, but she figured others actually liked their parents.

"Town drunk and town whore." He said cheerfully "They'd yell at me for interrupting something or other. And I didn't want to risk death by drunk driver tonight... or getting yelled at for missing a trick."

Okay, somebody in the peachy clean Scoobies that had some shitty parents besides her, go figure.

She tightened her sloppily made bandage before pressing her earlier question "And you came here why?" she still didn't get it. He probably could have gone to Red's or even Jeeves but he came to her. Probably back for another roll.

Xander worked his mouth trying to make himself coherent "You're... like me... I think? We take stuff and try our best to keep going. We don't break, we can't break. You'd understand, you wouldn't think I'm worthless... would you?" It was obvious he was saying the first things that came to his head. She hated to admit it but it was kind of sweet having a guy so open to her.

"Goofy, yes. Worthless, no." Xander gave her a silly smile. "You good?"

"Tired. Can I borrow you're floor?"

"Um...Sure... I guess." She said unsurely. Mostly because she figured when he woke up in the morning, hopefully more coherent, there would be a long awkward moment... and maybe a good story. "Want a pillow?"

* * *

Maybe if Faith wasn't so tired or worried about her maybe friend and used sex toy she would have noticed that his wound on his shoulder was a bite. A very large dog like bite or more specific a werewolf bite.

So she had no idea what was going on inside of Xander at the moment, even people who knew he was bitten would be at loss at what was happening inside the boy's body.

The young pup of a wolf demon found confrontation as it tried to set up shop inside its new host. Crumbs, leftovers, scraps of another animal lay in the boy. It was old and feral, certainly a force to be reckoned with at full strength but now it was weak. If the pup was sired by a wolf even a year older it would have won, it probably could have won now but somehow the animal spirit won. Taking over young demon and forcing itself to take over the role it should have played. It was no longer a demon but a spirit and maybe more importantly it was no longer a wolf but a hyena.

And now the newly revived spirit went onto its newly acquired job and started to change the boy from the inside out, in both magic and flesh. But like the wolf pup before it the hyena ran into something it wasn't expecting.

Hidden inside the boy's flesh was something else. A predator that never fully grew, a mindless killer that didn't mind the change. In fact it started to grow with the hyena's changes, giving itself entirely to the cause of hunting. And the hyena wasn't going to complain. It took the power and wormed its way through the boy's mind, making a home for itself inside what some would call the Id.

It was one with the boy now.

It and the boy were strong now.

A monster just waiting for the next hunt to come along.

* * *

The next morning Xander woke up with a groan and a heavy body.

He tried to get up but he soon fell to his face, "Ouch."

"'You okay there Stud?"

Xander angled his head enough to see the voice and was mildly surprised to see Faith, "Faith? Why are you in my room?"

Faith snorted, "Sorry to disappoint you but you're in my room. Dragged yourself here bloody last night."

Xander twisted his head a bit more to look around the room, "Huh, how bout that."

"So, how's the shoulder?"

Xander tried to rotate it but it was like a rusted gear, "Stiff" He tried to sit up again but found himself with a lack of energy to do the act. Though, to his surprise, Faith did help him up into a sitting position against the bed.

"Better?" she asked, taking a seat next to him.

"Yeah."

"So exactly what happened last night?" Seeing an unsure look on his face she pushed, "Oh come on. You show up at my door step, bleeding, in the middle of the night speaking damn near gibberish and I had to bandage your ass up. I think I deserve a story."

Xander mauled it over for a minute but eventually nodded and started to tell her about his night. From the girl who liked his car, to being forced to be a wheelman for a group of deranged zombies, to the eventual battle in the basement.

"After he disarmed the bomb we did the whole end quip thing between bad guys and good guys. Apparently he didn't want to leave it till later so he jumped me. We fought for a while... I think I was winning... which is weird." Faith actually didn't think so. X had been fighting Vamps and demons with them for a while so something at human strength shouldn't have been much trouble for him. "But then something jumped us. Big, hairy... it got me in the shoulder but I kicked in the balls... Isn't it funny how that works on everything? I mean show me one male of anything that that doesn't work on. One swift kick to the groin and down he goes!"

Faith gave a sage nod, "Yea, saved my ass a few times. Works on girls too."

Xander looks at her astonished, "Really? But you guys don't have... well you know."

"Still hurts like a bitch. Now story."

"... Not really much to tell. It all kind of gets fuzzy after I raaa... oh shit!"

Faith jumped, "What?"

"The bomb! It's still in the boiler room!" Xander made a jerky motion and slowly started to rise.

"Whoa, hold you're horses there big guy." Okay he wasn't that big but there were some half way decent muscles there, "I don't think you're in any kind of shape to be doing anything."

"But, but, bomb!" He strained again but found he could barely stand and Faith's light push sent him sprawling to the bed.

"And you can barely move. Just tell me where it is and I'll take care of it." Come to think of it, he never did say where all this went down.

"I can do it, really"

"X" she drew out the letter and gave him a stern gaze.

He grumbled something.

"What was that?"

"The school boiler room." he answered sulkily.

Faith paused as she connected several dots, "You've got to be shitting me."

"No."

"X, let me see you shoulder."

Xander shrugged and turned the shoulder towards her. He watched as she hesitantly unwrapped his bandages, like she wasn't looking forward to what she was about to see. Maybe his shoulder was worse than his stiffness was telling him it was, so he looked on in interest as she uncovered the wound.

It actually didn't look half bad. The bastard probably only got a shallow hit on him. It actually looked like it was mostly healed already.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit." Faith said over and over again as she started to pace across the room.

Okay now she was worrying him "Uh, Faith, what's wrong?"

Faith looked at him and started to take in some calming breaths, "X, we locked wolf boy in the boiler room last night."

"What does that..." Xander could be called slow, he could be called lazy, but he was not stupid, "oh." he said weakly, understanding what she was implying.

"Look X, you stay here. I'll take care of the bomb and get the whole gang,"

Xander interrupted her, "Don't tell them."

"What?" She asked confused.

"Just lie or something please. They don't need to know. This can stay between us. Just give me a minute or two and I can take care of it." They didn't need to know, they weren't pack any longer. They abandoned him, they pushed him out. No longer pack.

Xander didn't even notice his new train of thought he just went with it, "Please."

Faith wanted to tell the others, partly because after the whole fake watcher thing made her wary of secrets and another part because it was a pretty cool story. But he was begging her and putting on a damn puppy dog pout, "Come on X, I need to tell them something."

"Why? Why do they need to know anything?"

Was that a growl? She wondered. That wolf demon must have been making quick work. "I don't know how to take care of a bomb Xan."

"I do. Just," He grunted as he tried to move, "Give me some time."

"X, come on. Just let me tell them about the bomb. You can tell them about the bite at your own pace" She tried to reason and failed.

"They don't need to know nothing!" Abandoned, pack less. "They deserve nothing."

"X! Come on! Bomb!" Faith screamed at him, "We need to take care of it! The bite is your business I get that" She honestly did, despite her new hate for secrets she knew some stuff you wanted to keep close to vest. "But we need to do something!"

Xander looked away, grumbled but he eventually nodded.

* * *

Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies had met together after school discussing what happened last night and what they found in the boiler room.

"So what, their back up plan was to blow us all up?" Buffy asked

Giles shook his head, "No... The sisters didn't seem to know much about modern warfare so making a bomb would be out of their range of knowledge."

"Outside help?" Oz asked, if only slightly distracted by the bloated feeling he'd had all day.

"Perhaps."

Just then Faith came through the doors, "Hey guys. some shit went down last night."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we know Faith. The whole Hellmouth thing opening was a big hint to that."

Faith scowled at the girl, "No. I'm talking about the gang of Zombies that tried to blow up the school. I need help getting rid of the bomb."

The group sat in silence for a moment before bursting with questions. At first she tried to make sense of the mesh of questions being thrown at her but eventually she just gave up, "Would you all chill out! Please!" It was weird how this group seemed to be on a switch when it came to sound, except for the werewolf. He always seemed to have a cool head. "Okay." she said while doing a quick Eeny meeny miny moe in her head before deciding to screw it and just pick Giles, "G, questions?"

The middle aged man nodded in recognition, "Yes, well, how did you know about the bomb?"

"X showed up at my doorstep bleeding from a lucky shot the boss Zombie, O'Toole or something like that. Got the story from him." Faith said easily enough. A nice easy lie that was close enough to the truth that the others would probably believe her. They did but again they, well more like Willow and Buffy, exploded forth with demands for information.

"He was supposed to stay home!" Buffy yelled, almost indigent.

"Well he didn't. And personally I'm kind of glad he went out. You know with the whole not being dead thing and all."

Oz nodded, "Good point" While he seemed to concede the girls didn't.

"Why did he go to you?" Willow asked a little bitterly. She was over her friend, she really was, she hoped. She had Oz, but he should have come to her. They had been friends since kindergarten for crying out loud! If he was hurt he should have come to her.

"Seemed pissed at you guys for some reason or other." She said with an uncaring air, "Didn't even want to tell you but he was too stiff to move. I had to force him to tell me where the bomb was and promise to stay in bed."

"Stay in bed?" Came an irritated question from Cordelia. "As in you two..."

"Can we just get to the bomb already?" Faith exasperated.

"It's already taken care of." Giles said but the glare he received told him that wasn't the best news he could have given.

"Yeah, well, good. If there's nothin' else I'm splittin'." She did her best to ignore Red's and the Queen's muttering.

* * *

"Well, that was quick." Xander said as Faith re-entered the room.

"Yeah they were already taken care of it." She said kicking off her shoes and slamming down on the bed next to him, mildly amused by his squirming to her close presence. "But I would be waiting for a harpy yelling come at you in a triple threat."

Xander moaned in pain and it wasn't because of his shoulder. "Great"

Faith snorted at his dismay. "So, you feeling better?"

"Still a bit stiff." He answered honestly but he voice sounded distracted as his nostrils flared. Something smelled nice. "Tired."

Faith gave him a concerned look, "I know you're probably a wolf now and all but do you think we should take you to a hospital?"

"Nah, I'm good." It smelled really good, "Thanks for not telling them about, you know, the Oz hickey."

Again Faith laughed. "No problem." She was quiet for a moment, "So feeling wolfy yet?"

"Pfft" Xander tried to restrain a laugh but it came out, "No, don't feel wolfy yet."

"But you will." It wasn't a question.

"Probably" Oddly he didn't have a problem with that. He wouldn't be the normal one anymore, he wouldn't be the worthless one, useless. They tossed him aside, he was no longer their pack.

But Faith was pack, right?

"You know you have to tell them some time. At least for the cage."

"... Maybe." he said thinking that they could find something on their own but would go along with her. After a minute or two of silence he hesitantly asked, "Can I borrow your floor again?"

Faith shrugged, "sure."

* * *

The next day he was still stiff but good enough to go to school. Though Faith seemed to think he needed to be walked to his house, for a change of clothes, and walk him to school. It was nice.

A very pack like thing to do.

She dropped him off near the front of the school before moving off on her own. Probably to check in with Giles or say hi to Buffy.

"Later Faith."

"Peace X."

Getting his books out of his locker proved to be a problem. His right arm was too stiff to move to get to his math book and his efforts must have gone noticed because soon enough a slender hand reached up and took it for him. Turning towards the hand's owner he found himself confronted by the teenage front of the Scoobies. The not-pack.

"Hey Xan." Buffy greeted holding up the book for him to take. He did so hesitantly and gave her a nod in greeting.

"So, we heard you were busy a few nights ago." She tried to start.

"So were you." His tone flat and dismissive, causing some of them to wince. Oz just stared at him in confusion, what he was confused about was anyone's guess. Though Xander had a good idea.

"Look, Xander..."Buffy trailed off. Honestly she didn't know where this conversation was going. She was honestly just hoping he would make a joke or a quip but he seemed so... voided towards them. It was weird.

He cut her off before she could say anything, "Can we just do this later?"

He didn't wait for a response before moving on.

Oz didn't give the last word till a minute later, "That was weird."

* * *

They never did get a chance to talk to each other later as he kept on avoiding them throughout the day and growing into the week. The only times they did see him was with Faith and when they asked her she just said he was still pissed. And when anything involving patrolling with Xander or the bed room came up she told them to piss off and mind their own damn business.

It didn't earn her brownie points with the Scoobies but who cared. She and X were making their own.

"So how's the new Watcher?" Xander asked conversationally as they walked through the cemetery.

"Not evil. Which is a plus but he has a stick shoved so far up his ass I think it's picking his nose." Xander snickered "Anyway, evil demon in town with sword fighting vampires, want to help a girl out?"

"Sure."

* * *

Xander was flicking through the channels of his now shared motel room waiting for Faith to get back with her patrol with Buffy. It was one of the little peace offerings the now split Scoobies had. He didn't like it though. Faith was his pack, the old pack would hurt her like they did him. Abandon her.

He wouldn't.

So when Faith came in looking numb be was instantly on his feet.

"Faith! Faith what's wrong."

"I'm bad X. Really bad." She said collapsing into his arm as he wrapped her into a hug.

"Just tell me what happened"

* * *

"By order of the Council-"

"Get, a way, from, her!" Xander yelled as he was restrained by one of the Wesley fucker's thugs. The bastard called a hit squad on his Faith! She was sorry! It was an accident! It wasn't even her fault!

That stupid blonde! She blamed everything on Faith!

When he got free the first person he was going after was Buffy, okay, right after he tore that stick out from that Watcher's ass and started beating him with it.

"Would someone please gag him."

Gag him? Oh, so not going to happen.

He struggled harder and harder, fighting against the thug restraining him. He dug deep for strength, deeper and deeper until he touched it.

And the world met a monster.

**AN:**

**Okay that was longer than I thought it would be. I just wanted a rough plot on paper and then bam all that showed up. I'm not even sure where I would be going with this idea but I even have a decent idea of what Monster!Xander would look like. Pretty sure it's scary.**

**Anyway tell me what you think of my first story idea.**


	2. A Key in Hand

**Before we begin this story I just want to say something. All the ideas written down here a the ideas I have in my head and are very likely if I find time to become stories all their own.**

**Summary**: The monks didn't have enough time to turn the key human, they could only hope that it chose right

**The only problem I have with this idea is a lack of Dawn. Ten bucks says that just about everybody will know the crossover in about a second.**

***Betaed by Oxnate***

**Stray: A Key in Hand**

* * *

"The Beast is upon us!"

"But we aren't ready yet! The spell isn't finished!"

"Just release it!"

"What! You know what happened last time it was free!"

The doors slammed open.

"We have no choice!"

And so the power to destroy or save worlds was released once again.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Xander shook his head once again as he tried to concentrate on his work. It was hard though. He just couldn't help but wonder things, actual deep things.

Like if any of this was for real or not.

"Harris!"

Xander jumped, his knees bent as he turned for mobility and subconsciously altered the grip on his hammer for it to be a better weapon. He only relaxed when he noticed it was his foreman yelling for him. Xander jogged over to see what he wanted.

"Yes, sir?"

The foreman was a gruff looking man but he was overall a nice guy. So when he asked his next question Xander wasn't all that surprised, "You okay there kid? You seem out of it."

Xander nodded, "Yeah... Just a bit out of it is all."

"Out of it enough to be staring at the same nail for the last couple of minutes?"

Xander gave an embarrassed look as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"Look, Harris, you're a good worker and a great guy but if you're not feeling well tell me. Cause I don't want shit work on my site" Okay, so he's a good guy that likes his job a little too much. "Go home for the day, your shift's almost up anyway."

"Boss, I'm fine, really."

The foreman gave him a disbelieving look, "Just go home and sleep whatever it is off before you bust open your hand."

"But..." Seeing the stern look the boy just sighed and nodded his head.

* * *

Anya wasn't there. Still looking for a job herself he guessed. Not that he was complaining, he loved the girl but she made it impossible to take a nap.

So with very little reservation Xander landed face first onto his bed and fell straight into his usual deep sleep.

As he snuggled deeper into his comforter he felt strange. Like he was disconnected but aware of what was going on. Blearily he opened his eyes.

Was he falling? No there were little air bubbles coming from his mouth. So, sinking?

Huh, he was drowning after falling asleep in his bed.

It could only happen to him.

As he closed his eyes he notice he was falling faster and faster. So, panicking he forced his eyes open again only to find himself in need to shield them.

"What in the..." he asked himself as he stared around him. How did he end up at the beach... and standing? Was this a dream?

No, otherwise he wouldn't be feeling the rays of the sun or smell the sea water. His dreams were never this vivid. Or lacking of naked woman... or fighting... or something trying to kill him.

"Hey, bro." a voice called ahead of him.

Turning his full attention forward he saw a figure standing knee deep in the water ahead of him. It looked familiar.

Slowly, almost painfully so, the figure turned revealing a face that gave him nightmares and held many fond memories. "Jesse? Is that really you?" The sun was out, already burning Xander's day deprived skin. So it wasn't a vampire. But how?

The supposedly dead boy smiled at him and held out a hand for Xander to take.

Xander didn't hesitate as he took a series of rushed steps towards the water. But as soon as his boot touched the water the tide started to draw in on itself. Anyone who lived near the ocean knew what that meant, "Shit. Jesse! Get out of the water." The boy just kept on smiling at his friend with his hand offered as a large wave started to form behind him.

Xander ran as fast as he could, trying to save his friend. He wouldn't fail him again, he wouldn't!

But before he could reach his friend he was slammed down by the wave, tumbling back into the current. But that didn't stop him. He moved forward, swimming as hard as he could only to see a surprising sight of Jesse still offering his hand to him. He didn't know why but he still reached for it. Though ultimately he failed and the current swept him away.

A moment later he found himself standing where Jesse was a moment ago. He looked around for any traces of his friend but saw nothing but twilight covered water.

"Xander! Get over here!"

Surprisingly on the beach was the rest of the Scoobies setting up a barbeque and waving at him to come over. That's right they were supposed to go hang out at the beach tonight and unfortunately it looks like Buffy brought along her new pet vampire if the blanket was any clue.

Disregarding Spike, he waved back as he started to trudge his way out of the water and towards them. "Hey you guys did any of you just see..." he stopped himself mid sentence as noticed all of them were giving shocked and disbelieving glances towards the sky. Turning around himself he saw something falling from the sky.

Was that a meteor shower? No, it wasn't a meteor.

A person? A person was falling out of the sky!

Not believing his eyes he squinted them trying to get a better look. He wished he didn't.

"Is that me?" He asked out loud before a sinking feeling took over him. His arms twirling to catch his balance but failed as he found himself falling into the sky instead of sand.

"Xander!" The scream came from multiple sources as hands tried to reach out to catch him but none came as he seemingly took the place of his falling counterpart. He tried to reach out for one of their hands but was unable to reach any of them as he plummeted faster and faster before their wide eyes.

And once again he found himself submerged in water as he sank deeper and deeper into a dark abyss, trying to force open his eyes in the salty water. The currents twisted and turned his body as it spiraled deeper into the darkness until it seemed he stepped foot on land.

"What the," He gasped out as fresh air filled his lungs. "Okay, either this is the weirdest dream I've ever had or something Hellmouth-y is going on." Looking around him he couldn't see anything, not even the ground on which he walked. Taking a tentative step forward a light appeared and a flock of birds ripped themselves off the ground revealing a stained glass floor.

"Okay. Officially freaked out now." he said as he watched the flock of birds fly into the darkness.

_*So much to do_, _So little time_ *

A voice called out from all around him, neither male nor female, neither strong or soft, it was just there. Which didn't set Xander's nerves at ease as he shifted his footing into his admittedly ugly but effective fighting stance.

_*Take your time, Don't be afraid.*_

Something drew his attention to the front of him.

_*You're path is still open*_

Whatever the hell that meant Xander wasn't sure he liked it.

_*Now step forward, can you do that?*_

Tentatively Xander stepped forward, now utterly convinced something Hellmouth-y was going on and it was always better to play it by their rules until you find a decent way to break them. Walking to the middle of the stained glass floor he felt a rumble tear through the area and three stone pedestals starting to rise.

_*You have power inside of you*_

A flash of light drew his attention to the right as a large shield started to take shape

_*If you give it form-*_

Another flash of light drew his attention to the left as a staff started to form

_*It will give you strength*_

In a final flash a sword appeared on the middle pedestal.

_*Chose your strength well*_

"What?" He asked the air confused. He received no answer. Sighing he walked over to the sword first, figuring if anything at least it was a weapon. But as soon as he touched it a voice whispered in his ear.

_*The power of a warrior, invisible __courage. A sword of terrible destruction*_

_*Is this the path you choose?*_

Xander thought on what the voice said for a moment. Was this who he was or who he wanted to be? A juggernaut of a warrior with little standing in his way, to stand alone in a fight with little fear, everyone fearing him. Everyone, even his friends.

No. That was not who he wanted to be. Dropping the sword to let it float again he finally began to understand what this was. A test on what he valued. He didn't know why a demon would be playing this game with his head but they were.

Moving over to the staff he wondered what would be whispered in his head this time.

_*The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin*_

He dropped the rod like it was on fire. There were two problems with this one. One it was magic. Magic hated him. The second problem, it didn't even sound good. Actually, it sounded like it was going to blow up in his face.

So moving on to his last option he grabbed onto the handle of the shield.

_*The power of the guardian. The will to sacrifice yourself. A shield to protect all*_

See, now this was a good option!

Nodding his head he raised the shield to the air showing that this was his choice.

Whatever was putting him through this trial seemed to take the hint as the floor started to shatter beneath his feet causing him to fall in the darkness once again.

"Shit!" he screamed as he fell using his arms to shield his face from any of the falling glass. He thought that this was the end, that the demon had finally finished its game and wanted him dead. But he was proven wrong as his fall started to slow down and a new source of light started to illuminate the darkness. Looking down he saw a pale purple platform with the picture of what he assumed was a bride on it.

Slowly something angled his body so he'd land feet first upon the new stained glass floor and he started to take in his surroundings again. Soon he felt a warmth in his hand and in a flash of light a sword appeared.

_*There will be times you have to fight. But keep your light burning strong.*_

"That so does not sound good." And almost to prove his point shadows pulled themselves from the darkness and formed into rough dog-like shapes that laughed and laughed at him. "I hate being right."

The creatures jumped at him, beady yellow eyes looking hungrily at his flesh. But Xander, while not the prettiest fighter in the word, was experienced. So as the first creature came at him he forcibly kicked it away on instinct and brought his new sword forward in a downward arc, slicing deep into its black fur and flesh.

Xander actually started to feel bad about killing whatever was attacking because of how easy it was to kill them. Sure they were dangerous but after the third kill it felt like kicking puppies.

_*Behind you!*_

After years of fighting on a team and dealing with show boating opponents Xander reacted immediately by spinning around with the blade wide, easily cutting into the opponent behind him. "Um... Thanks" He said to the voice while wondering why the demon wanted him alive.

Though he almost trashed that thought as a thick ink-black... something started to rise and drag him into it. He started to thrash around desperately to escape only to feel embarrassed a second later as he found himself in the middle of an occupied room looking like he was in the middle of a seizure.

Raising himself from the floor he looked sheepishly around only to feel a great deal of surprise and dread as he recognized where he was. Sunnydale high's Library. "This can't be good" he said to himself as he looked around the room and identified the other occupants of the room.

Moving over to the one closest to him he asked, "Hey, Wills, any idea what is going on here?"

Instead of giving him a reassuring answer like he was hoping she gave a question. Was it too much to hope for that this was just another shared dream? "What is the most important thing to you?"

"Okay, cryptic questions. Great..." Okay cryptic questions means not something physical but an ideal that you have, something intangible. What was intangible that he felt was the most important thing to him? That was actually easy to answer, "Friendship."

The fake Willow smiled at him before fading away. "Okay, next." he said to himself before moving over the older man wearing tweed.

"What is it that frightens you the most?"

Easy question. "Becoming my father." The fake Giles gave him a proud understanding smile before disappearing himself, leaving him alone with the Buffy look alike.

"Okay. Lay it on me so I can get out of here."

"What do you desire out of life?"

"Of course they had to pick Buffy for this question." Xander mumbled to himself. What did he desire out of life? That was a hard question but he eventually came up with an answer that he was happy with, "To be strong enough to protect who I need to." It's what he desired not what he had. He was never strong enough but that wouldn't stop him from trying.

Buffy gave him a dazzling smile before she too faded from sight.

Looking around as if waiting for something to happed Xander finally asked, "Okay... What now?"

To answer his question the door the library cracked a little bit, streaming a bright light into the room. Cautiously walking over Xander pushed the door further open. As the light seemed to envelop him he heard the voice once again.

_*You cherish friendship, you fear becoming a monster and you desire to protect. Admirable qualities. May they serve you well.*_

_*Your Adventure started at night, may you see the Dawn.*_

"Again with the un-good sounding things."

The light slowly started to fade away revealing another stained glass floor surrounded by a deep darkness. He stepped around the platform for a while waiting for something to happen, an enemy to attack, another mind game but there was nothing.

"What do you want now!?"

A light shined in the distance revealing a large pillar and a series of multicolored stairs appeared, leading the way over towards his apparent destination. There was one stinging problem for him as he thought about continuing, there was nothing supporting the stairs. They just floated in empty space.

Xander sighed and moved forward as he saw no other choice. "I hate this, this, whatever it is!"

Cautiously he took his first step on the "Stair", finding it sturdy he moved to the next and then to the next. After finding them safe enough Xander walked forward with little fear. Out of his own curiosity he looked back to see what platform looked like. It was a grand depictionof a sleeping woman surrounded by thorns and deep red roses. It was a beautiful sight, making him slightly disappointed that he didn't try to get a better look at the other ones.

Making it to the last step Xander paused to take in the image on the new platform. It was of a beautiful woman curtsying in a yellow ball dress but over her shoulder he could barely make out an image of fierce looking demon glaring off into the distance. It was like symmetry. One couldn't be without the other without looking incomplete, empty.

Finally deciding to move he made his way to the middle of the platform. Looking up for the first time he saw a bright light spreading down through the darkness, scaring it as the light tore into it. It kind of made him feel safe.

_*The closer you are to the light, the more your darkness shows.*_

Xander heard a noise behind him and immediately turned around to face it. He didn't know if should have felt surprised or not as his shadow arched itself off the ground and stood ram rod straight facing him.

_*But don't be afraid*_

The shadow took a more professional version of Xander's own stance.

_*And don't forget*_

Bright yellow eyes snapped open as they peered over at Xander. Xander opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when the shadow burst forward in a quick motion, slamming its fist into his stomach.

Coughing from a lack of air Xander gave a wild swing only to hit open air as the shadow weaved under his fist and slammed its own into his jaw. "Oh, now you're getting it."

The shadow seemed to snort at the comment as he chopped Xander in the neck and kicked him in the chest. But even gasping for breath Xander tried to keep up his attack.

Xander's style was wild and full of openings but he didn't seem to mind taking a few hits as long as he got at least one on you. Add that to the fact that he fought dirty by going for the groin and eyes, you had something stupid but workable. In all honesty when he was in a fight Xander relied on his instincts and experience to keep him alive but against this very skilled opponent he was getting kicked around like a rag doll.

Badly bloodied Xander still stood, breathing heavily as he tried to get his body to respond. As he managed to limp a circle around his opponent it spoke.

"You should just give up kid." The voice was gruff. "You can't win."

Xander swished some blood in his mouth before spitting to the side. "Not really seeing that as an option."

The shadow shook its head "Dumb choice kid." Seemingly pulling a gun out of nowhere the shadow shot Xander once in the chest, making him take several steps back and stare at the wound in shock "Real Dumb". Not even giving him a chance to recover the shadow shot again and again until Xander fell off the ledge of the platform.

As he fell he immediately noticed he wasn't falling into empty space. Whatever this "darkness" was it was alive and was trying to drag him deeper into it.

_*There is no need to be afraid*_

Xander ignored the voice as he was using the last of his strength to struggle against the inky substance that was trying to devour him. As his consciousness started to fade away he could still hear the voice whispering in his ear.

_*For you carry the greatest weapon of all*_

The young man wanted to swear at the voice for giving him that cryptic bullshit while he was in the middle of a struggle for his life.

_*So don't forget*_

"Would you shut up!" Xander croaked out as he ripped an arm free in a rush of adrenalin.

_*You are the one who makes his own path*_

The darkness redoubled its efforts to drag him deeper and deeper until he had a gasp of breath bring him back to the world of the wake.

As soon as he saw he was back in his basement turned room he started to frantically pat his chest, searching for bullet wounds. Finding none he let out a relived sigh.

"What the hell was that?" he wondered, his hand still on his heart as he took in calming breaths.

* * *

Xander listened to Buffy and Riley playing in the water absently, having lit the fire with a halfheartedly thrown match. His mind has been elsewhere for last few hours. The dream he had earlier seemingly engraved itself in his mind as it wouldn't go away and he could remember, every, little, detail.

He thought about telling the others but decided against it in case it was just something he ate… that was laced with a heavy hallucinogen.

"Xander!"

Said man jumped up and promptly landed on his ass. Grumbling audibly Xander looked at an amused Willow.

"What's up Wills?"

"We were actually going to ask you that. You were pretty spaced out." Xander looked up fully to see that both Tara and Anya were staring at him in worry.

"Nothing's wrong guys. Just… thinking is all."

Anya tilted her head, "And what are you thinking about that stops you from talking? I kind of want to know just in case."

Xander barely made a scowl. "Point is I'm fine. Now let's work on those burgers."

* * *

Dracula was real.

Dracula was real and he was in Sunnydale.

And to make matters worse, Anya knows the blood sucker! That was just messed up!

He tried to tell himself he wasn't jealous as he walked down the streets, half drowned in self-pity but ultimately came up failing. As he turned the corner he saw the focus of his current ire.

Usually he would have felt some immediate fear but now there no fear. Like something was encouraging him, whispering in his ear that he would be fine. "So is this the part with the big scary intro where I cower in fear?"

Dracula scowled at him.

"What, come on, nothing, really? I liked you better in the books."

Something spread through the alley and hit Xander full on in the face "Silence." Was the one word that followed. A command for obedience.

"Y, y,y,"

Dracula actually started to frown. The boy was resisting his thrall?

"You will do as I command."

Something was burning inside Xander. Telling him not to listen. To fight.

"You will bow!"

He didn't bow! Fight, fight, fight. FIGHT!

A warm feeling started to bloom in his chest, his heart, and began to quickly make its way through his arm and into his hand. "NO!"

And in a flash of light it appeared.

The biggest damn key Xander had ever seen in his life.

But at the same time it seemed to be designed to be a weapon. The hilt was wrapped in a comfortable blue material with two golden guards on either side. Stretching from the end of the guard was a long silver pole with a crown like design where the teeth of a key should have been. To finish it off the key theme a chain stretched from the base of the hilt with an interlocking three ball charm at the end of it.

And then there was something more to it. A feeling, a power radiated off it as he gave the new weapon a few practice swings in the air.

"What is this?"

Xander was tempted to make fun of the way the bloodsuckers W's came out as V's but he was currently in silent awe of his new weapon.

"I really don't know…" Xander shifted his stance, legs wide, weapon held low and his left foot and shoulder facing Dracula "But I'm pretty sure it's a good thing."

Xander charged forward, shocking himself and Dracula with his new found speed. But Dracula was a skilled combatant, even before he was turned, so he managed to dodge on reflex and at the loss of his cape.

"This trip will prove more interesting than I thought." The vampire idly commented, looking forward to the challenge.

"Glad to hear it." Xander growled as he rushed forward again. Xander wasn't using the new key weapon as a sword as it was probably designed to be, he was using it how he would usually fight with an ax. Heavy swings, one after another. Sloppy, telegraphed things that Dracula easily swayed through before disappearing in puff of mist. "Oh, not good."

"Very." A voice whispered behind him.

"Crap." Was all he could get out as a powerful fist slammed into the back of his head. To his own surprise he wasn't knocked out or dead, just disorientated. Apparently Dracula was expecting a similar situation because he was forced to take the full brunt of Xander's dazed swing.

The swing itself was weak but power coming off the weapon made Dracula scream in pain. It was like the sun had just risen and decided to punch him in the side.

As Dracula hadn't taken such a powerful blow in decades; Xander, who was used to taking a beating, was the first to recover. And again with a sloppy swing he slashed Dracula across his chest electing another scream from the usually composed being.

And for the first time in centuries Dracula's true vamperic face showed itself. He struggled against the pain and lashed out. He connected but that didn't stop his determined assailant. This was not supposed to happen to him. He, t host feared and revered vampire in history.

This couldn't be happening. Not to a mere boy and an over-powered trinket.

Xander took in a rasping breath as he studied the vampire's bloody form before lining up the teeth of his weapon to the monster's neck. "Night bats."

* * *

Later in Giles' apartment the remaining Scoobies were brainstorming on what could be done about Dracula. But their session was interrupted by a disheveled Xander slamming through the front door with a comically large key.

"Hey guys just thought I'd let you know Dracula's dust in the wind" The room was silent at his proclamation, "Night now."

Xander promptly fell face first into the floor.

* * *

**AN:**

This is one of my two Kingdom Hearts ideas (Which I don't own), I hope you liked it. I'm iffy on both because of when they take place (S5 and S7) as I'm better (or I think I am) with S2 –S4 stories. Anyone know why a story like this hasn't been done yet? I mean Xander has been called both the key and the heart, I'd think it would be an obvious crossover.

Honestly I'm not all that happy with it and only have a general idea on where I'm going with it but please tell me what you think.

What I would add/change in a longer version of this. Have Xander have the "Dream" between seasons, have Giles looking at reports of those who "Failed" the dream, an explanation on how the keyblade works and what it does… And honestly, get rid of Anya, nothing against her, I just don't think I can write her.

Peace.


	3. Please, Stop Me

**Summary: Xander has a destiny and he sends out a desperate plea for Buffy to stop him.**

**Story#3: Please Stop Me**

Rupert Giles looked worriedly at the reports in front of him.

Something strange and most obviously dangerous was happening in Sunnydale and its gotten to the point that the government, both state and national, had taken an interest in what was happening. FBI agents and state troopers were coming in to investigate and he didn't know whether that was good or not.

Maybe it was a… mundane thing. A human occurrence but something told him it wasn't. He felt that it was something more.

Unexplainable suicides.

Legitimate gang wars that took the lives of innocent bystanders started with seemingly no provocation.

Diseases not seen for centuries appeared and started to mutate quickly.

And impossible accidents have become a common occurrence.

The authorities thought it was the work of some terrorist group from the Middle East. But he wasn't as convinced. It was his job… well not anymore, now it was his duty not to take the "rational explanation".

And what was more worrying was that in the four days that all of this has started there has already been over a hundred deaths with a dozen times more suffering someway somehow.

"Any clues Giles?" Buffy asked sullenly near him. One of her class mates had been one of the unexplainable suicides, they weren't that close but it was still something that shocked you and told you how close to home this was hitting.

"No, I'm afraid not Buffy. Whatever this is there is no record of it in my books. No prophecy that I can find, no species or group of demons. Nothing." In all honesty it was frustrating him beyond all belief. There should be something anything "

"Are we even sure it's something supernatural? Maybe it's like the news thinks, maybe its terrorist." Willow tentatively suggested. They all knew, even she knew, she was trying to be hopefully optimistic but falling very short of her target. And despite this knowledge Buffy couldn't help but to make a quip.

"On the Hellmouth? On the scale of unlikely to impossible? I'm going with impossible."

The three of them sat in a frustrated silence as they started to flip through Giles books in a desperate and probably vain attempt to find something. But soon their silent research solace was broken by the sound of Giles' phone ringing.

Picking it up the British native instantly finding himself having to calm down a frantic woman. "Joyce," he tried once gaining the two girls attention "Joyce, Joyce! Calm down. What is wrong?" he listened for a few seconds "Joyce, you're making no sense… alright we'll be over in a moment." Hanging up the phone he turned to the girls. "I'm unsure what is going on. All I could really make out was something about Xander. She insists we need to get over there now."

Both girls immediately nodded, now extremely worried about their friend. Sure they were estranged at the moment but they were still friend. And when he didn't' show up for the Scooby meeting they should have known something was up. What if he was caught up in one of those accidents or being the stupid man that he was got in the middle of one of the gang wars.

That last thought made them hurry all the more.

-0-0-0-0-

When the three came into the house they found a confuse and frazzled Joyce sitting on her coach nursing a glass of alcohol.

"Mom?" Buffy asked unsurely as she hadn't seen her mother in such in a very long time. Not since she was ousted as being a Slayer. "Mom, are you alright?"

"And where is Xander?" Willow added immediately after. Sure she cared about Joyce but Xander was her Xander.

Joyce didn't answer just pointed towards the answering machine. The other three looked at curiously noticing the red '1' laying there almost ominously in their minds.

Pressing the button the three were greeted to a robotic voice tell them the date and time the message had arrived "That's two days ago?" Willow said absently while trying to think of the last time they saw their friend.

Soon they heard someone rasping on the other end of the phone followed by a familiar stained voice "Bu-Buffy. You have to stop me." Buffy opened her mouth and managed to mouth the word 'what' before the message continued "Something, inside me. It's taking over. The seals are broken. They, we, are looking for the fifth. Stop them from getting anymore Buffy. Stop us, please. I don't want to end the world." There was the sound of crying on the other end, Xander never cried "God, Buffy it hurts. Please kill me, kill what's going to wear my face. Please. I don't want to do this. Please Buffy. Please." There was silence for a moment "I don't think I can last much longer. I guess, bye guys."

Soon the sound of a dial tone came and left all the occupants silent and pale.

-0-0-0-0-

"You sure it's here?"

"Yes, the fifth seal is in the forsaken town somewhere."

"Should we ask our brother? He grew up here after all."

"Give him time. He's still adjusting. He was more attached to his human self than we were."

The three men then turned to their brother who was sitting at the edge of the clearing staring up at the open sky.

Three scents spiraled around his nose as he started to become use to his own scent. Steel, gun powder and blood. The three things that now seemed to be all that he was made of. A walking weapon of destruction, what he was born to be, designed to be. He accepted this now.

Feeling a warm muzzle rub against his face he smiled and started to pet the horse. "Hey girl." He greeted his new found friend in the form of a large red horse.

He accepted what he became. War, the very personification of the thing. Higher than any god or demon, he was a force of pure nature. He felt the passion that started it and the cheer that ended it but most of all he felt the dread, anger and sorrow that became of it.

He was the passion, he was the devastation, he was Xander Harris.

He was the second horseman.

And he had a job to do, one that he needed to do.

He just didn't want to do it.

**AN:**

**This is kind of a response to all the overly super Xander stories and how he makes things perfect with his obviously bigger than Buffy's destiny. In all honesty those stories kind of piss me off if they aren't done right, mostly because they are pure bash fics. So the response is to give Xander a destiny that is counterproductive to Buffy's**

**This one is more of a teaser because like the other's I have no idea where I'm going with this one. I put it in mid fourth season because of the whole 2000 thing and I wanted to see/force the Scoobies to actually work with the Initiative and maybe call Angel in. Plus imagine Walsh's face when you tell her she's facing the Four Horsemen.**

**If I do do this fic it would probably take place in the points of view of the three main Scoobies minus Xander and how they deal with their friend who is starting a very public apocalypse.**

**Slight crossover with Darksiders and (I'm not really sure I should even say this) the Book of Revelations from the Bible.**


	4. Broken Promises

**I'm not going to lie, as much as I hate seeing it done wrong I love abusing the whole "Xander was possessed" angle. So you'll probably see it a few times after this rough draft.**

**Summary: He promised Jesse he would keep her safe, he failed and now Sunnydale will feel the consequences.**

**Story#4: Broken Promises**

"Hey, ass, get off her" Buffy yelled as she grabbed Percy by the back of his shirt and dragged him away from Willow. The jock mumbled something before stumbling away taking most of his friend with him as they jeered at him "You okay there Will?" Buffy asked eying her friend's new outfit.

Willow stared at her blankly for a moment before a look of pure venom appeared on her face "You." The red head managed to growl out.

"Me?" Buffy asked out loud as she wondered why her friend was being so hostile. She had a clue and decided to go with it "Listen Willow… About what I said earlier, I'm sorry. You know how my foot loves to live in my mouth." Her friend was still glaring at her "I, I like your new look. Its… very extreme. With all the leather."

"I don't like you." Venom, stinging poison filled with hatred lace Willow's voice as she glared almost childishly at Buffy.

Buffy took a step back in shock "Willow, I'm sorry if what I said hurt you but there is no need to be so hostile."

The red head just bared her teeth before turning sharply "Leaving now."

Buffy grabbed her arm "Willow, come on…"

Willow burst from her grip with surprising speed and strength "Let go of me!"

Buffy felt numb as she watched he friend's face shift into something horrific and yellow eyes glared at her. She stood their stunned as the red haired vampire stormed out.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander hummed cheerily as he walked towards the Bronze. He didn't see a reason why he shouldn't be in a good moon either. Buffy stopped side lining him, Cordy wasn't mentioning his home life in her insults anymore and Willow was starting to actually talk to him again.

He still didn't get why he and Willow did that and now that he looks back at he feels more disgust in himself. Not only because he cheated and came that much closer to being his father but because he had always thought of Willow as his little sister. So now that he thought back to the whole Fluke with all the kissing and naughty touching he felt a little sick.

Seriously, what caused that lapse of judgment? He kissed his sister!

Something twisted Hellmouth-y must have happened.

Disengaging himself from his disturbing train of thought he started to think of happier, less puke rendering things. Like Bronzing the night away.

But as he walked towards the Bronze he heard the sound of a scuffle and instantly he was on the scene. Though as he rushed over he was cursing himself for not bring more than one stake hidden in his coat. He needed to come out more prepared.

As he came to the scene he saw something that chilled him to the bone.

A body laid listlessly on the ground with a familiar figure in an unfamiliar outfit standing above it licking her lips and fingers.

His suddenly dry lips managed to utter one word "Willow?" His voice croaked and strained under the effort to say her name.

She turned towards him, her face still shifted to that of a monster's, yellow eyes wide with excitement and crooked fanged teeth growing into a sickly smile. "Xander!" The thing squealed excitedly as it skipped over to him "I missed you."

Her ice cold arms slid around him as his heart beat faster and faster.

How could this happen? He just saw her earlier today. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't.

"I don't like it here." The vampire mumbled as she snuggled into Xander's chest "Everything is so… depressing." She started to take in a deep breath, taking in what to her was the most comforting smell in existence but was cut short as she felt something penetrate her back.

She looked up in shock at Xander for a moment before she started to turn to ash in his arms.

Xander just stood there with a blank expression on his face, one hand holding a stake, the other filled with ash.

This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't how it was suppose to end.

He felt tears brimming in his eyes before he ruthlessly killed them. He wouldn't cry. There was no time for tears. The one who turned Willow was going to pay. And it wasn't going to be a slow death either.

Problem was he had no power… at the moment. He was now desperate and pissed off enough to do something her promised himself he wouldn't do.

He didn't like breaking his promises but he already broke an even more important one to Jesse. He promised what happened to him wouldn't happen to her. That was his promise and he failed.

Compared to breaking that promise nothing else mattered.

He looked at the pile of ash in his hand.

The last remnants of Willow.

It wasn't much, but it was her. The only thing left for him to greave over. So, shoving his stake behind his back, he cleaned out his jacket pocket as best he could before depositing her remains inside.

He'd pick up a zip lock bag on the way to his destination. It would be a temporary thing until he found something better to carry her in.

Taking a shaky breath Xander made another promise, this time having no doubt what so ever that he'd keep it.

"Don't worry Willow. I'll get the bastards that did this."

-0-0-0-0-

She felt him before she saw or smelt him.

Her freedom.

Her strength.

And though some would highly doubt it her mind. Her higher thinking.

Together the two of them were great but they were denied each other by his… friends.

But now he was back at the time when the sun was gone and no humans came. He stood there in front of her prison with a look on his face.

Devastation? Determination? Or maybe he was just hungry.

She still didn't understand the turnings of a human face so she wasn't sure.

The other members of her forced upon her pack started to laugh and giggle with excitement as they remembered the last time the boy visited. They wanted the same as her but one swift bark from her stopped them in their tracks.

She was the matriarch. She made the decisions. So they backed down as she made her way to the front of the prison looking up, waiting for him.

"I never wanted to come here again" He barked in that strange way human's do, she didn't understand what he was saying but she sat down and stared at him. Still waiting for it to happen "But I have no choice." He clutched the side of his fake fur "They took her from me. They need to pay. They all need to pay." His eyes were still looking at the ground as his barks began to quiver "But I'm not strong enough on my own… I need you."

Finally his eyes looked up to meet hers and she grabs her chance.

Her spirit flung from her body with a laugh.

Freedom was in her grasp. Only to be denied to her as her spirit and his soul met.

Her boy, her human had changed. There was another spirit in there, fading but waiting for intruders. The spirit of blood and gunpowder dragged himself to the front of the boy's mind to face her. A tug of war of dominance and the human spirit was winning despite his ailing ways.

But she would not give up. She grabbed onto the animal she saw in the boy and tried to pull herself in. But again there was something, another predator, another spirit not even fully grown was there waiting. A mindless creature that lashed out at her with its mighty jaw but she easily swatted it away, it was just another broken spirit after all.

But when the human spirit grabbed onto that animal one they were no longer weak broken spirits. Just one killing machine of a spirit.

She was viciously thrown back to her body where she would whine at the loss.

The boy who betrayed her groaned as he stood from where he stumbled to his back. She could tell he was one with the other spirit now, that spirit took her place. But as he looked up she still felt their connection and not only that she felt strong.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander shook his head groggily as new knowledge and senses slammed into him. Merging with the hyena failed but he now had something else apparently. Maybe it was a good thing since he still felt mostly himself.

Standing up and looking up at the hyena and the painfully expression on her face. He could still feel that thread of something that connected them, that thing that kept him the hell away from the zoo for the past two years. He lived in fear of it so long but now that he used it he just felt bad for her.

She was laying on the ground in the hole of a cage looking up at him with only could be described as betrayal. He could understand it as clearly as if she was crying and screaming at him.

Deciding on a course of action Xander leaned himself over the railing with his arms held open wide. He didn't know why he was doing this. It wasn't like she could jump that high but still she looked up at him with her ears perked.

She laughed excitedly and jumped, shocking him and probably her she nearly made it to his arms. Though she failed her first try she was not discouraged as she jumped again and again until finally Xander had a firm grip of her in his arms.

With a weight no lighter than a new born Xander pulled her over the railing and set her gently on the ground. She laughed again, jumping up and licked on his face. "Um, good girl." He said as he gently petted her head.

While not what he was hoping for he could work this "Okay girl, you want to come with me? There are some ground rules"

-0-0-0-0-

She sat in strange thing her human used to get around as he smashed open the door to some store front.

She understood some of things he barked at her and could get the general idea of what was going on. Someone killed a member of his pack and now he wanted to hunt them down. She could understand that and would wholeheartedly help him.

Besides that he freed her and gave her strength. She owed him.

Even if he did keep on calling her Lucy.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander walked determinedly with Lucy next to him as he opened the door the Willy's Alibi Room. Most conversation stopped as he walked in, Lucy looking ominous behind him as she sniffed and giggled.

He didn't even bother going up to Willy. He just stated what he wanted "I want the one who turned Willow Rosenberg."

The room was silent for a moment before one of the local vamps asked who was dumb enough to turn one of the Slayer's friends and a few others mumbling about how dumb the boy was.

Xander being more than impatient in his angered and grieving state walked over to the nearest vampire and put the muzzle of his hidden shot gun to its head. "I asked you all a question." His finger twitched closer to the trigger "I'm not that particular with which blood sucking bastard I kill but I think it's in your best interest to tell me a name."

One of the vampires buddies took objection to the boy's actions but before he could do anything the boy yelled something "Lucy."

The large dog that went momentarily forgotten jumped forward with great speed and ripped out the transgressor's throat. As the vampire was grasping for unneeded air the hyena dug into his ribs and chest. Eventually the pain turned him to dust, making Lucy laugh in entertainment.

"A name or I swear to paint this place in blood and ash." The boy's voice went gruff as he made the threat sending chills down many of their spines, the fact that his dog was laughing and licking its bloody chops didn't help.

"I got an idea Harris." Willy said cautiously from behind the bar. He did not want to see if the boy could back up his words or not. "I'm not sure if it's the guy you want but he has the balls."

The room stated to whisper. Many in the room didn't know who the boy was but a few heard of him in rumor. The Slayer's lap dog Harris, her little lackey that did little more than get a lucky shot in every now and then. This was not what they were expecting to see when they finally met the boy.

"Talk." Was all he said, never taking his eyes off his nervous target.

"His names Ricky. Got turned during the twenties. Gots the whole mafia thing goin'. He hangs around at the docks." Willy stormed out, hoping to get the boy out as quick as possible.

Xander was quite for a moment. "Thanks." Was all he said as he pulled the trigger and pointed the gun at the rest of his hostaged table. "Lucy, vampire." And again he pulled the trigger.

Systematically Xander went through the room injuring demons and dusting vampires. Some tried to sneak up behind him but he seemed to always know they were there and place a stake in their hearts.

They tried to get a hold on him but he was moving to fast, almost a blur in action. His image wavering as he weaved through the crowd. And to make matters worse, whenever they thought they pinned him his dog would show up.

That dog was a monster! And coming from a group of demons that was saying something.

It was fast, not as fast as the boy but quick enough. Though its real strength was its sheer power. It was bull dozing through vampires like they were rabbits and tearing through flesh with a sickening glee.

Again, that's coming from demons.

When the boy finally stopped moving he wasn't even out of breath as he gave an ultimatum "You might want to tell vampires it open season on them. The rest of you might want to stay out of my way."

Xander had no problems with demons, just a majority of them. According to Giles books some are actually friendly but if he saw one of any species eating a human baby, well, he would be charged with genocide.

-0-0-0-0-

The next day Sunnydale high was filled with gossip of a stolen hyena, the local gun store being robbed and a large fire down at the docks. But none of that was heard by a grim Buffy Summers as she sat in the library waiting for the others to gather.

She had told Giles the news last night but she couldn't find Xander, Cordelia or Faith to tell them the news. The horrible reality the world was now in.

Giles sat across from her with a pained but sympathetic look on his face, the cup of tea he prepared for her laid cold on the table. He didn't wish for her to go through this pain again, not since her old friend from the year prior. He could see it ripping into her, hurting her more than any physical beating.

"Why is everyone so mopey?" a familiar voice that startled the both of them out of their funk. Standing there in the door way practically bathing in the sunlight was Willow.

Buffy worked her jaw at the image she was seeing. She saw Willow the vampire the night before, she knew what she saw. But now Willow was standing in sunlight not being set on fire.

Apparently Giles was more coherent than her as he placed a cross on Willow's face none too gently. "Ow, Giles." The girl complained under the force and from the lack of smoking and sizzling that seemed to be the only problem.

Buffy immediately shot up and hugged her friend leaving the red head confused. "Okay what's going on?"

After explaining things to the young witch her face seemed to brighten in realization "So that's why everyone kept on talking about what I wore yesterday."

"So I wasn't being delusional?" Buffy asked, much to her own relief.

"Apparently not." Giles comment as he thought events over "It would seem we have a look alike, maybe even a doppelganger." The man mumbled to himself as he disappeared into the stacks leaving both girls staring at him confused.

-0-0-0-0-

He should be in school, he knew she would want him to be there. But he couldn't. He was too angry.

And firebombing crypts was kind of fun during the day. Watching the vampires decide if they wanted to burn inside or outside was very entertaining. And if Lucy's giggling was anything to go by she enjoyed the show too.

-0-0-0-0-

After updating the rest of the gang of resent proceedings after school Giles and Wesley went head first into research mode.

"So everyone talking about "Rosenberg's new look" was talking about your copy?" Cordelia asked with mild interest, after receiving a nod she snorted "Should have figured. You don't have the guts to work leather like everyone said you were."

"Hey!" Willow exclaimed mildly offended "I could "work" leather!" why did everyone have to think she was such a goody goody!

"Sorry Red. I just can't see it." Faith said mildly, taking notes of everything going on to tell the Mayor later.

Willow puffed out her cheeks, feeling more and more irritated as her two most hated people started ribbing her.

As the research party went on Cordelia pointed out something they all missed "So where's the dweeb, out getting doughnuts again?"

Willow and Buffy looked horrified at each other. "Have you seen Xander today?" Willow asked, her face twisted in fear.

"I was too freaked to notice! Giles!" Buffy yelled out, making the former Watcher to jump up from his book "I'm going to find Xander, he doesn't know about evil Willow!"

"That's just sounds creepy" the red head mumbled to herself while Cordelia said something about how it wasn't much of a change.

"While that is a good idea Buffy," Giles started "Where are you going to look? Especially if you haven't seen him all day?" He hated playing the role but it seemed to be his to do so.

Apparently Buffy hated his role too. She paused, thought and came up with a few stops. "His house, the Bronze, and if not we head to Willy's to see if he has a clue."

Faith stood up "Hold up B. I'll come with you." It was obvious there was nothing new going on, besides the Willow clone, besides it might be entertaining to tail with the Golden Girl for a while.

-0-0-0-0-

Willy flinched as the door opened. Hoping beyond hope that it wasn't who he thought it was. And when he saw the two Slayers walk in he sagged where he stood in relief.

"Not the reaction I was expecting" Buffy said slightly annoyed which fueled her on going bad mood. Xander wasn't at the Bronze or his house and she got yelled by Xander's drunken father. Something she was going to have to talk to him about.

Willy started to look worried as he remembered who the two girls were "Look Slayer, I'm sorry about your friend but there is no need for violence."

Buffy was over at him in an instant "What happened to Xander!" Buffy demanded completely forgetting about the doppelganger walking around.

Willy started panicking "Besides going crazy? I have no idea!"

"What?"

"He came in here last night demanded to know who killed your other side kick and then killed every vampire in the room when he got an answer. He did a repeat performance a little while ago." His words were rushed in a mixture of fear of his current predicament and terror of the one earlier.

"And I'm suppose to believe that!" The blonde demanded holding him with one hand and raising her other to give him a Slayer level slap.

"Uh, B" Faith called from behind her trying to get her attention Buffy turned to demand what only to receive Willy's answer at the same time.

"We still haven't cleaned up his mess yet."

How could she not have noticed all the ash, blood and bullet holes the riddled the area? How empty and flinch-y the room was. Could her Xander really have done this? Was he even capable of this?

-0-0-0-0-

When Faith and Buffy returned to the library they found everyone there including Angel as he was giving a report about recent super natural activities. Something about a fire but that didn't matter to her at the moment.

"Guys, we found something out you're not going to believe." It took less than three minutes for her to tell what she knew but it stunned everyone silent.

"Are we sure this information is correct?" Wesley asked unsurely while Angel "So that's what he meant." at the same time. And as usual Wesley was ignored as everyone honed in on Angel's statement.

"And I said that out loud." The vampire bemoaned as he noticed all the stares.

"You." Buffy demanded as she pointed at him "Spill."

Angel did his best not to fidget under all the stares "When Angeleus was free last year he went to visit you at the hospital" He said truthfully, doing his best to ignore the flinching and looks of horror "And Xander was there waiting for him. Angeleus taunted him and asked how Xander was going to stop him. He said that he was like me, just a cage hold holding back something worse. The scary part was that Angeleus believed him and seeing how just about every well known vampire hang out and crypt has been attacked I'd say he was telling the truth."

The library went into silence as they thought about what was said.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander moved from his hand gun to a machete with frightening ease, the type of ease that should only come to someone who had years of practice. And at this point he wasn't sure that he didn't. It didn't matter though, as long as one more blood sucker was dead.

He felt the world differently now. He could feel when something was coming at him, from any direction, he knew they were coming but through his strange connection with Lucy he knew he didn't need to turn around to get the one sneaking up on him.

He was stronger now, not as strong as before but stronger than normal Xander and he sure as hell moved faster than ever before. It wasn't like super speed or anything, more like… he moved faster. His reflexes and responses put his body in a blur as he put deadly training to use.

It was a handy skill to help clear out a new base of operation.

-0-0-0-0-

While the rest of the Scoobies went home a bundle of nerves worrying about XAdne rna d the possibility of an Evil Willow look alike Faith went to her new boss to report.

"… So apparently X went off the deep end." She said sitting at the edge of his desk as she finished off her report.

The mayor hummed to himself as he thought about of the latest news. He had been wondering who was killing off all the vampires in town, he already killed maybe fifty in roughly two days. Now that was impressive. The sign of a real go getter.

He wondered if the boy wanted a job.

**AN:**

**This is a crossover of just about every Shooter game and Crow (I own none). The shooter games are what I base Xander's abilities on with bullet time, radar, slight super strength, a slight healing factor and near unbelievable skill. Crow for his relationship with Lucy, as long as both live they both have their abilities, one dies, bye bye powers.**

**I think that if I do any of these stories fully I would either do this one or Just a Bite.**

**Oh and nothing against the Willow/Xander pairing, I actually have a fic or two for that but… well its just how I saw them till the fluke.**

**And with the modified Xander Angelues conversation I think Joss should have done it like thins "I'm not sure I could but whatever is in me could. I've been possessed twice hair gel and neither really went away. I'm to it what Angel was to you. A thin little line keeping the monster from the rest of the world. Now back off before I decide to let it out." Even if it was a bluff it would have been a hell of a reason for Angeleus to leave.**

**Anyway tell me what you think.**

**Peace**


	5. Link of Reincarnations

**Summary: The Slayer line was not born alone**

**Story#5: The Link of Reincarnations**

When humanity was young it quickly realized it was not alone, and that it was a tasty snack. But they were a cunning bunch of bastards, creating weapons and tools to fight off all those who would eat them. They were actually doing a decent job but some thought they could be doing better, especially when they knew there were bigger threats out there.

So the three wisest men of the largest village got together and discussed their options. They all agreed whatever they did they had to make sure whatever they did lasted through the ages but they disagreed on how.

The first mage of the council that would be known as the Shadow Men suggested binding a powerful demon to a young girl. This way they had a powerful warrior who was impressionable and would listen to them. And when she fell in battle the power would be transferred to another young girl in their village.

The second mage shook his head and called the first a fool. They didn't need the help of a demon when there were plenty of friendly spirits to use. He suggested sealing the power of the Divine into a blood line and letting it be passed to every child of the family.

The last mage shook his head and called the both fools. He said that they didn't need the help of the Holy or Demonic to stay alive, that humanity was deadly enough on its own. He suggested that they take their bravest warrior and place him in a loop so that every time he died he would be reborn with the skills and knowledge of his last life.

The three would argue for a week before deciding to just go with all three ideas, it would be better to have three lines of defense after all.

The first mage had successfully bound an Old One to the soul and sprit of a young girl and her Line of Power would become infamous in the minds of demons as they cowered away from any area the name Slayer would appear.

The second mages idea had seemed to work as well, successfully even as the mages that the bloodline created were all exceedingly powerful. But the bloodline, like many bloodlines before and after it, faded away and died off.

The last mages legacy however lasted just as long as the first. In every life he would become a warrior, a crusader against darkness. Sometimes he would stand alone, other lives he would lead, some he would follow. In some lives he was a great hero, others a betrayer but in all a warrior with little equal. In each life he would gain skills in battle, magicks, and in academic. While never the best in the last two combining them with the first he damn near scared any opponent he ever faced.

As lives went by him he grew stronger every time he "woke up" in his current life and his soul so powerful it altered his current life's form.

Everyone recognized him by three continuing traits, his blue-green eyes, golden yellow hair and pointed ears.

But as with all things time has a way of making people forget things. So when the descendants of the Shadow Men, now called the Council, noticed that this man would appear near where a Slayer was activated or born or working they grew worried.

You see, the three lines were meant to follow each other. Attracted to each other since their birth due to their similar natures and creation, even when the sister line died off the Slayer and Warrior followed each other. Determined to keep the other going as long as possible.

But the Council didn't know this. All they knew was that there was an unknown entity following their weapon. And it needed to be stopped.

They tried to fight the Warrior directly but his skills proved too much for their small teams, even when the musket came into the picture. But the Council soon noticed a pattern, their opponent wasn't immortal.

A reborn warrior for every generation to fight, well, it seemed to fight darkness. A male version of their Slayer maybe?

After that thought spread through the inner Council and rumored in the outer the group became split into three groups. One wanted him gone, another wanted him controlled, the last said leave him alone as he did the job and they had no way to track him.

Most slowly fell into the last group as time proved them right, though the first two options were always so tempting.

The last time one was spotted was in the late seventies when a childhood friend of the Slayer Nicki came home from the war. He supposedly died in 1981.

There hasn't been a clue of his latest awakening yet but the Council kept an eye out.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander Harris woke up with a start as the memories of the Vietnam Veteran slammed through his dreams again. And again he wondered why he was the only one keeping the memories of his possession. It had been more than a week and no one was acting weird anymore and Buffy was complaining about losing her easy A in French.

So why him?

Why was he plagued by nightmares of the jungle?

The next morning he brought it up Giles.

"I am not sure why you are still being affected Xander, I'm honestly not." The man said giving the boy a piteous look as he saw the tired and drawn out expression on the boy's face.

Xander hated the way Giles was looking at him, he wasn't a pity project "Great. Do you at least have like a dreamless sleep spell or something?"

"Afraid not."

"Just fucking great." Xander said earning a slightly surprised look from Giles. Xander never swore. Whatever was going on must be affecting the boy more than he thought. So before the teen left Giles promised to look further into it.

-0-0-0-0-

As the days went by Xander's mood became worse and headaches became a common occurrence for him. The girls didn't seem to notice until one meeting where he tore into Angel for apparently no reason.

Hell, all Angel could do after being called "a pedophilic waste of rotting flesh" was blink at its abruptness.

"Xander!" Willow yelled indigently. Buffy's voice soon followed with the red heads, her eyes practically spitting fire but it didn't seem to faze the boy as his head wobbled up and down in a constant battle to stay conscious.

Buffy stomped over to the boy to yell at him but was stopped when a hand landed on her shoulder. Turning her glare towards the one who stopped her she found herself feeling indignant as Giles gave her a stern glance.

"But Giles! Did you hear what he said!" Buffy yelled her mind racing with possibilities on how to hurt her obviously jealous friend. She so didn't need this after the whole Ford thing.

"Yes, I did." And while internally he agreed with the boy's little rant, well most of it, he was more worried about the haggard looking boy. "Xander," The boy's head lolled to the side to look at him. "Maybe, you should go home and rest."

"I'm fine." The boy muttered in an irritated voice as he rubbed his bagged eyes.

The boy obviously wasn't. The nightmares must have been hitting him worse than the English native thought. Damn Ethan.

"Xander, you're no use to use if you're dead on your feet."

"I said I'm fine." While the boy had a shit glare he had a very good growl. But it didn't affect the Watcher as he let out a sigh and grabbed the boy by the arm.

"Come now, I'll drive you home."

As Giles guided the groggy boy out of the building he left a very confused and slightly pissed library behind.

-0-0-0-0-

As Xander dreamed that night he was not plagued by dreams of Jungle and the screams of his men as they were hit by a surprise attack. That night he dreamed of fighting a demon in the streets of Edo and making his way to Nagasaki to find a master vampire. But on his way there a blast of something ripped through the city with poison and fire.

He would lay a week in a make shift hospital riving in pain from his burns and the poisonous energy that was slowly destroying his body. Eventually he welcomed death for the first time in many lives.

That night he didn't wake in a panic but in relief.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander felt better that morning as he walked to school. Maybe it was because he woke up feeling the relief of exiting that seemingly unending pain, it didn't really matter. He actually managed to get a few solid hours of sleep for the first time since the whole Halloween mess.

But the fact that he didn't dream of the streets of Los Angelos or fighting in Vietnam finally descended upon him.

Why was he now dreaming of something else?

Giles needed to be found.

But as he walked into the library he didn't find Giles just a certain duo with red and blonde hair. "Giles here?"

Buffy glared at him obviously not forgetting his little spiel against Angel the other day but Willow who paid more attention to what happened after the rant just stared at him.

"No" was the red head's answer as she started to take a good look at her crush in what had to be days. He looked tired and worn out, like he was dead on his feet. His eyes flickered around the room, like he didn't trust the shadows not to jump out at him. "Xander… are you alright?"

She should have asked that sooner. Why had she stopped paying to him? When did she? She used to know his blood pressure for crying out loud!

"Fine, fine." He said in a dismissive manner that wasn't Xander "I just need to talk to Giles."

She pulled out the resolve face "Xander."

Xander looked at her blankly for a moment before something inside him snorted. That was what was supposed to intimidate him into talking? He's seen worse.

Wait, where had he seen worse? Because he was pretty sure a week ago he would rather face a vampire's game face than Willow's resolve face.

Oh, god, another head ache.

Xander started to rub his head from the pain. With every pump of his heart the pain in his head got worse but he did his best just to grit his teeth and work through it.

"Xander?" Willow tried again as she saw how much pain her friend was in. Even Buffy stopped her glare and started towards him with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm fine." He gritted out as forcibly straightened his posture "I'm fine." He repeated again after taking a few breaths to compose himself "I just need some sugar or something"

Now Willow was pleading "Xander, please, tell me what's going on."

Xander was tempted to tell her about the nightmares that have been plaguing him since Halloween, about how they've been changing and getting worse. But he couldn't bear to make his friend worry more than she already was. So, he lied.

"I'm fine guys, really. Just haven't been sleeping well is all, giving me a headache." He wondered where he learned to lie so well using the truth, it seemed like instinct "Just tell Giles me and him will work on that thing later." Vague worked but more often than not back fired.

"Thing? Like Buffy just proved.

So you un-vague it enough to make them leave you alone "Yeah he's helping me out with a few problems" Their mouths opened to say something "Guy problems. You guys wouldn't understand."

"I thought only we could use that." Buffy said to Willow who only shrugged, honestly not wanting to know what a 'guy problem' was. When she tried to think of what it was images of… the male anatomy came to mind making her actually 'eep' out loud.

"Look guys, I'll see you later. I'm going to get a drink."

He left before they could say or ask more.

-0-0-0-0-

He grumbled to himself as he practically slammed his fingers against the key board. All he wanted to do was be home and hope for a coma inducing sleep, one hopefully without nightmares. But no! He had to do some stupid review class at 9am on a Saturday. A time in his opinion shouldn't exist.

At least it was Ms. Calandar who doing the class. She was cool teacher but the problem was that she was a good teacher. She actually made them do stuff and wouldn't let them leave till they finished their program. To make things worse Cordelia wouldn't shut up.

God, he was so tired.

And did Buffy have to come in like a freight train?

"Ms. Calandar… can I talk to you for a minute?"

The teacher tilted her head in worry "Something wrong?"

Buffy took in a breath and explained how Giles didn't show up for the blood delivery the other night and when she went to see why he bailed she found him at home drinking.

"But tea, right?" Willow asked hopefully.

"No, it wasn't tea Will." Buffy said gravely "Have you guys noticed anything about him lately."

Three out of four gave her a negative while the fourth through a curve ball.

"He was fine when I saw him talking to the police yesterday." Everyone turned to stare a Cordelia "What?"

"And only chose now to mention it because?" Buffy asked aggravated.

"I didn't think it was that important."

Xander let out an unsympathetic snort.

Jenny took control of the conversation "What did they want with him?"

"Um, don't tell me… Something about a homicide."

Buffy's back straightened and her face set as she made her way out of the computer room "That's it, I'm calling him!" Ms. Calandar was right behind her with the rest of the group following them at a much more subdued pace.

But by the time they reached to doors they found the sound of slamming to be enough of an incentive to hurry up. Bursting through the library doors they found Buffy holding a familiar looking man by his collar.

"I remember you! You're from the costume shop." Xander found his head snapping to get a better at Buffy's hostage. She was right it was him and Xander found himself moving over to them with a surprising unfamiliar stride.

"I'm so glad, erk." Ethan Ryane found himself forced from the Slayer's grip as her young friend grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Staring into the boy's eyes he found himself in loss of a comment.

Xander's face was twisted into something feral and his eyes were burning. Literally if you were looking from the perspective of his victim, as Ethan watched the brown in the boy's eye seemed to burn away to make room for a deep unnatural blue. "What did you do to me?"

His voice quaked as he spoke, almost like it cracked but instead of a deeper crescendo a dab of an unknown accent slipped through.

"Xander!" the name was called from various sources as the room finally moved into action after Xander's sudden attack. But their voices seemed depended on Xander as his body language barely show that he even heard them.

"Answer me!"

"Nothing, I did nothing!"

"Liar" Xander barked out as he started to tighten his hands. But before he could choke the life out of the man who he blamed for his literally painful nightmares Buffy was on him pulling him away.

"Xander! Calm down!" but to Buffy's surprise Xander moved fluidly out of her grip to punch Ethan across the face. His footing was near perfect and he hit at such an angel and spot the Chaos Mage was laid out on the ground and fully expecting a concussion when he woke up.

The room sat in a confused silence for a moment before Cordelia spoke for everyone when she asked "Okay, what the hell was the about?"

Xander said nothing as he felt uncharacteristically silent, as his breath starting to even itself he gave a grunt and sat in one of the nearby chairs.

He didn't respond to any of the question thrown at him. He just focused his attention on the unconscious man on the ground as if he was considering something.

After realizing they weren't getting anything out of their friend Buffy started to issue orders for the other woman to restrain Ethan while she went to call Giles. Though she didn't get through her argument… conversation with Giles before the door slammed open to reveal what can only be described as a rotting body.

"Ethan!" It called out mockingly "Come out to play!" the corpse looked around for a moment before spotting an unconscious Ethan.

"Oh good, your gift wrapped." The decaying man moved forward to get his prize but a fist met his face and to everyone's surprise, or at this point lack of surprise, it wasn't Buffy's fist. In a smooth motion Xander was up from his chair and gave a right cross worthy of Muhammad Ali, following it up with an impressive chop to the neck and an over head throw tossing the corpse into a book case.

Eyghon the Dream Walker shook its borrowed head as he tried to reorient itself. Not that it had time as a knee met its host face or when a hand grabbed the back of its head and slammed it into the ground. Over and over again.

Xander didn't know what he was doing, his body was just moving on its own. Movements not his own taking over and flowing throw his being as if they were natural. He actually found himself liking the experience. Too bad Buffy had to ruin his experience.

"Xan! Calm down!" Buffy yelled as she gave him a bear hug from behind to restrain him. A little voice in the back of his head instantly gave him three methods to get out of her hold despite her strength. But he was able to force himself not to use them and calmed down enough for Buffy to loosen her grip and shrug her off.

"Fine." At least the headaches were gone. No one noticed as the brown in his eyes started to take over the blue again.

"What is up with you?" Buffy demanded, ignoring the new pile of green goo on the ground or how it seemed to slither towards the unconscious Ethan.

He was tempted to say nothing but he was getting a stern glance from everyone in the room. It didn't really matter anymore anyway, the target of his aggression was in the room and he was going to answer some questions. But oddly he didn't feel like talking all that much so he gave a one word answer "Halloween."

Now most of the Scoobies could easily be said to have above average intelligence so when they added the word Halloween with the way their friend had been acting lately combined with how he reacted to seeing the costume shop owner they got the picture. So a series of realizing sounds were made along with demands on why he didn't say anything.

"I told Giles."

Apparently the magical timing of the Hellmouth had a rather ragged looking Giles come rushing through the library doors asking if everyone was alright. Unfortunately he found himself meeting two very intense glares from Willow and Buffy and two looks of curiosity from Jenny and Cordelia. At first he had thought Ethan had ratted him out before he could explain himself but a quick glance showed a still unconscious man tied to a chair.

"Um… what?" was his elegant response before being pelted by questions. What he managed to piece together from the simultaneous babble and demands was something about Xander and Halloween so he was able to come up with a half way decent answer "It was his business."

That seemed to be the right thing to say as the girls turned their glare towards the boy. Giles Ignored all that as he moved towards his one time friend with a renewed passion.

But as soon as he was in front of Ethan a familiar voice cooed out of the other man's lips "Well, well. I never thought it would be this easy Ripper. My last target coming to me? Such a gift."

Giles face lost all color as one word left his mouth "No."

Ethan's eyes snapped open to show glowing yellow eyes "Yes!" The now possessed Chaos Mage yelled as it ripped free of its binds and went for the stunned Brit but the local Computer teacher managed to push him out of the way take a clipping for herself.

"Ah!"

"Jenny!"

Eyghon would have continued its assault while the librarian looked after his girl friend but the fact that the Slayer was in the room did halt it. So did the presence of the boy who if it was who he was thought he was would be trouble. So the Dream Walker made a quick escape through the nearby window, planning to buy his time as it grew in a live body.

-0-0-0-0-

Xander didn't like Giles explanation. Not at all, summoning the help of a demon to get a high? That wasn't just wrong but sick.

Not that it mattered now. Now they had to catch the demon, kill the demon and for good measure burn the corpse. Old friend of Giles or not.

"Um, Xander? What are you doing?" Buffy asked from behind him as he rummaged through the weapons cage looking for something that would suit his needs.

"Suiting up." He pulled out a sword, examined it for a moment before giving a nod of approval. He wasn't sure what he approved of but it looked like it would serve his purpose.

"Xander… maybe you should stay here. You said yourself… well kinda, that you weren't feeling well."

The only shield he found in the case was a bit small and made of subpar material but it would do for now. "I'm fine for this."

Buffy bit her lip in worry as her friend almost casually jerry rigged his green hoody to carry the sword and shield. Whatever Ethan did to her friend on Halloween it had changed him and she wasn't sure she liked it.

Xander didn't pay her any mind as he turned his attention to the only couple in the room "Giles, does that tattoo work both ways?"

-0-0-0-0-

Eyghon was pleased with how well of a host Ethan was. Not only because he was alive and one of his designated targets but because of the magical energies he had at his disposal because of the Chaos Mages frequent use. The pool of magic made it an easier transition for the Dream Walker to enter the mortal plane, a much quicker transition.

Soon it would have a full body and power, all it needed to do was kill Rupert Giles. And as luck would have it the of so noble man was making his way towards him. No doubt with the Slayer and boy in tow. They would prove a challenge, even in the state it was in now it couldn't be sure it could take one either alone and win.

Maybe, just maybe, it could when at full strength but that meant killing Rupert as soon as possible. That was no fun but survival came before pleasure.

-0-0-0-0-

"You sure that Egyptiongon is around here?" Buffy asked as she twisted her head to look around docks seeing nothing but the dust pile of an over eager vamp.

"Eyghon." Giles corrected her absently but kept his eyes open "And yes, he's around here somewhere." His tattoo was pounding like a bloody jack hammer.

Xander let his gaze take in everything it could, flickering to every slight movement it could find. Unfortunately that wasn't enough to see the movement on the roof top as a blue skinned demon jumped down landing behind Giles with its arm held high. On some sort of jerky instinct he retrieved the sword and shield from his back but it wasn't quick enough to do anything as the claw came down towards Giles head.

But while Xander wasn't quick enough Buffy was. For a second time that night Giles was pushed out of the way for someone else to take the hit for him. But this time it wasn't a clip or a scratch but a long bloody gash across her torso. Buffy let out a cry of pain as she crumpled to the ground clutching onto her injured chest.

Giles mouth opened and closed as he looked on in horror at the sight of his charge's blood pooling out of her body. He sat there frozen on the ground finding himself unable to move. Eyghon on the other hand had no problems, seeing it only as one problem out of the way.

But soon, like Giles, it found itself unable to move as it felt waves of magic roll through the area. It wasn't to say powerful but incredibly dense and old, frighteningly so.

Turning it's gaze towards the source it felt its eyes widen as they landed on the boy. Eyghon had its suspicions on what the boy was but hoped that it was wrong. Seeing this though viciously killed that hope.

In a process that probably took all of two second stretched for an eternity for Eyghon as it watched brown hair bleed away for blonde, brown eyes burned away for blue and his ears stretching themselves to a point. The boy's body language changed from a restrained and clumsy fury to a smooth and confident posture.

When the transformation was over Xander stared at Eyghon with an uncanny intensity, enough to make the demon take a step back. "You will pay." Even the boy's voice had changed to an accent that could be best described as a mixture of a Spanish and Middle Eastern.

Xander took a step forward, pivoting on the front foot and holding his sword diagonal as his body took up momentum to become a hurricane of force. A battle cry ripped from his lips, one that he became intimately familiar with over the centuries and let it ring through the air.

"THIYA!"

**AN:**

**While this idea takes a medley of ideas from Legend of Zelda, Avatar the last Air Bender and Soul Caliber's Zasalamel with a dab of Super Saiyian its mostly a crossover with the web cartoon Legend of Zelda Unknown Origins. **

**The basic idea is that there is a warrior that is constantly reincarnated and at a certain point in a new incantations life the past lives "wake up" giving the current host all the memories and skills of lives before. Life time upon life time of fighting and different types of training, from Spartans to Samurai to Vikings to a bomb maker from China, all is remembered. With that much experience, skills and time to perfect said skills you have a warrior with near no equal. And when Ethan did his little spell he woke Xander up sooner than he should have been, even if there had been twelve year olds who awakened. **

**I'm also Thinking about having the Slayer essence in Kendra act differently around Xander than… Whatever is in Buffy… I never got that. I'm also thinking of doing something with Midna, maybe have her as a shadow nymph that follows the Warrior as a constant friend and/or lover.**

**Tell me what you think.**


	6. We can be again

**This one is based on a little fact a lot of people seem to be forgetting when they power up Xander because of his possessions... technically this is my first Halloween fic but in honesty I didn't mean for it to fall that way.**

**Summary**: A void is filled within them but until the last of them accepts it they cannot be complete.

**Title: We can be again**

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In another world the following event wouldn't have happened. In another time events would have made it so that four young men and women would have never been touched by Ethane Ryane's spell. But a simple conversation after a traumatic event caused the gears and wheels of destiny to shift ever so much for these young people.

As the spell spread through town conversing children into monsters and heroes five teens perked their heads up. Unlike the other that were being incased by the spell they had a void in them that greedily took in the placebo spirits. The filling emptiness forcing the spirits to fill a role that was forcibly gained and removed not too long ago. Sure the spirits that now occupied the teens now were not the same as the ones that came before them but they would do.

When the spirits woke up the five unlike the others didn't wonder where they were but where the rest of them were. The strange fact that none of them knew who, or what, the "rest of them" meant didn't seem to register in their minds as they moved through the strange and unfamiliar terrain to gain that answer. All of them following a strange tugging from within them to find direction.

The knight errant was the first to move. His sporadically armored body traveled through the streets with a type determination not often seen in the modern world. He paused only for scant moments to stop and often kill the demon's attacking citterns before ordering them to shelter. In any normal conditions he would have escorted the people to safety but he was a man lead by heart and his heart told him to keep moving on.

A block and a half away two members of the group have already met up, having been walking together in the first place. The two young women felt something close to familiarity as they stood next to each other, though the two current occupants had no idea who the other was. In their chest they could what could be described as strings or ropes tugging them towards each other and deeper into the currently unknown town. So together the cowgirl and the nurse moved down the streets constantly wondering who the other was and where this feeling would lead them.

Another one of them had fallen back upon his family's teachings as he all but disappeared into shadows and foliage. It was frighteningly easy to tell that this was not his home land, be it by how the roads were paved or all the oni running around it was an instant thought for him. The only comfort he had was the weight of his katanna on his back and the only clue he had on what to do was a force nudging him to move from where he was. He didn't like magic, too messy, and it was obvious something magic was happening. Grudgingly he moved towards where the magic was calling him all the while wondering why he was feeling so excited.

Unknown to the four they were all converging onto a single person. A soldier who's eyes danced around his surroundings, taking in every little detail they could while the muzzle of his gun tracked the rampant creatures that were running across the streets. He didn't know what was going on and only years of experience and training were keeping him calm.

He cautiously advanced through the streets following where his gut was telling him to go but fell short when a voice called out behind him. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment to see what it was and quickly dismissed it as a street walker panicking.

"Xander! Xander! Stop right there mister! Hey! Stop walking away!" Willow called out after her friends retreating figure. She eventually realized that calling after him was useless as he too had been caught up in whatever mess was spreading across town. After realizing that she couldn't keep up with him in the heels she was wearing she gave up on him and hoped that at least Buffy wasn't affected.

The soldier didn't notice when the street walker stopped chasing after him and frankly he didn't care. He felt himself being dragged forward down the blokes until he came face to face with four other figures.

None of them looked like they came from the same country or even era but somehow they all just... fit together and he knew he belonged with them. Despite his survival level paranoia he didn't hesitate to complete the circle that they were forming.

As he took the final steps into the circle all their eyes flashed a vicious earthly green. None of them bothered to notice.

The first thing any of them did was not to greet each other or demand answers but to check the others for injuries. After that all of them seemed to zoom in on the soldier who automatically seemed to take up the role of leader, both in their minds and in his. "Anyone have any idea on what the hell is going on here?"

All of them shook their heads negative. "I know not what is going on here." The knight spoke first, "But it would seem that some form of sorcery is involved."

The soldier and the nurse both looked at the knight like he was crazy but both knew deep down that he was telling them the truth. The fact that the ninja and the cowgirl were nodding their heads in agreement helped their wary trust. "I agree." The ninja added, his Japanese accented English a surprise to his own ears, "Some wizard is playing with forces he shouldn't." He wanted to add that whoever this wizard was had obviously dragged the five of them to this hell but he couldn't. This land felt like home, his, no their territory.

Some was playing with their land and it was obviously irritating all of them.

The soldier nodded his head as he took in the tidbit of information, "Know anyways to track whoever it is?" All of them gave a negative, so sighing he came up with a plan, "Okay, mission plan, find civvies, get them to safety, kill all hostiles, find the fucker who did this and end him. Any objections?" Again with a negative he gave a nod and started to move down the street. All of them unconsciously falling into a formation as the moved. The soldier on point, the knight and cowgirl flanking the sides, and the ninja tailing the back with all of them surrounding their one none combatant.

None of them could explain why they felt the need to laugh, or why that even the well trained and experienced soldier and ninja let out a chuckle when they attacked the hostiles.

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Spike was all set to have a good lay in that night, but No! Some of his dumber fledglings decided to go against him and actually hunt on Halloween night! That showed little class and he wouldn't accept that in his ranks.

"But boss it's crazy out there!" The minion plead, knowing his master was more lenient when something peaked his interest, "It like someone is throwin' a monster bash and didn't invite us!"

Spike paused his movements for a moment, contemplating what he just heard and was about to ask for more information when Dru's voice rang through the room. "No!" She screamed as she raced over, her steps weak and her legs wobbled as she moved forward. "My Spike, you cannot go out! The puppies! The puppies will get you and gobble you up they will!" She fell against him, hugging him tightly, "Please, my Spike don't go and get gobbled."

Spike debated going out anyway, just to see what had Dru so worked up but when a seer predicted your death it was common sense to walk away from where they say you're going to die. So he snapped the fledgling's neck, leaving him to his agony, and escorted Dru back to the coach so they could finish watching Charlie Brown.

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Cordeila Chase ran as fast as she could, screaming her lungs out with every step. She was on her way to the Bronze to show that insensitive bag of shit Devin how good she looked in her cat costume and what he was missing by ditching her on their date when all the weirdness happened. Out of nowhere screams came from all around and the streets were riddled with monsters of various size and shape and wouldn't just be her luck that some giant dog like thing decided she would make a good chew toy. So she found herself running blokes on end at surprising speeds for someone in heels.

"Help! Oh God! Someone help me!?" For the umpteenth time she called out but this time her pleas were answered by two very different sounding gunshots. She flinched enough for her to finally fall on her ass from her unbalanced footwear. At first she felt a jolt of fear swipe through her at the very thought that she was going to be eaten by Jo-Jo the dog boy but soon she found quite a different sight greeting her. One that involved a girl in a Naughty Nurse costume peering down at her with a concerned face on as four others circled around them.

"Are you alright ma'am?" She asked kindly but the fact that Cordeila was getting a full view of her breast was destroying the whole homey feel to the question. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Cordeila took a shaky breath and shook her head, "No, I-I'm fine."

The Nurse smiled, "Good. Now can you stand for me?" The girl did so upon shaky feet, she had really thought that was the end for her, "Good!" she repeated chipperly.

The one carrying the assault rifle and wearing army fatigues spoke next, his back still turned at the offensive part of the group kept their eyes out for enemies, "Ask her if she knows what's going on." To the rescued girl his tone sounded rude bordering offensive with his barked order, especially since she was standing right there. He could damn well ask her himself.

But the blonde Nurse didn't seem to mind as she asked the question, "Hey, so we really don't know what's going on here and we were kind of wondering if you did?"

Cordeila looked at the girl like she was crazy, "No, I have no clue what's going on! One second minding my own business the next I'm almost dog food!"

The Knight, the Ninja and the Soldier all stiffened at the girl's increasing volume, knowing damn well that something just had its interest peaked. The Cowgirl noticed too as she quickly placed a hand over the girl's mouth, "Shush sugar. Do you want to wake the whole county?"

Cordelia was going to bite her savior in outrage for being silence but when the tell tale sign of gun fire rang from the Soldier's position she looked over to see two little devil bleeding on the ground with the Knight quickly making his way over to behead them. So realizing shouting would get her nowhere she shook her head no, she did not want to attract more attention.

"Tis a good weapon you have there." The Knight complimented as he returned to the group.

The Ninja shook his head, "Too noisy." An effective killing tool true but it garnered too much attention for his taste.

"There are quieter ones, now zip it and form up." Neither of the two warriors have ever heard the type of slang that was being thrown at them but could guess their meaning as they returned silently to their guarding positions. "Alright, we're taking this civvie to the nearest shelter than moving out, clear?"

After receiving various positives the Soldier lead his... Pack down the road with an extra passenger.

It was only an hour later, after being dropped off safely at the Bronze, did Cordeila realize that she knew the Nurse and Cowgirl.

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Ethan Ryane felt a chill go up his spine as he heard laughing ring from inside his shop. He knew he locked up and charmed it to only open for Ripper but still the chime to the front rang allowing the spiel of laughter to enter. But the strange thing was none that entered seemed to be laughing. It was like the insane sound followed them, foreboding something Ethan quite honestly didn't want to imagine.

"It would seem the little witch was right." The Knight said as his eyes landed on the shop owner who was eyeing the group warily.

The Ninja shook his head in disagreement but never took his eyes off Ethan, "That has yet to be tested." he didn't trust magic users, even the friendly ones. They all wanted something or had some form of twisted logic.

"The varmint is right there looking like he's about to make a break for it, what more do you want?" The Cowgirl demanded, her hand twitching towards he pistol when Ethan took a step.

"Proof."

"How about a confession?" The Soldier asked rhetorically as he moved forward and grabbed Ethan by his collar, "I'm sure we could convince him to play nice."

That ambient laughter grew louder as the rest of the group drew closer as well, causing Ethan to swallow rather loudly.

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The five left the unconscious body, alive only in case they still needed him, and stated to circle around the indicated bust. For some reason they were hesitating, they knew the shop keeper wasn't lying, both the Ninja and Soldier could tell if he was, but they were hesitant to smash it and end the spell. Eye contact was made several times as the pondered what to do with the idol but eventually their defacto leader took charge and stepped towards the pedestal.

"Bye guys." His voice was almost timid when he said that, a stark contrast compared to how he spoke before. The others looked a little teary eyed as they said their own goodbyes. None of them could really explain why they were so emotional but they were, even to the last second when the bust broke on the ground.

A wave of magic washed over the room and then spread throughout the town canceling the spell and leaving five stiff figures in the costume shop. The nurse was the first to react as she fell to her knees and started to cry. "Not again, not again!" The other's weren't that far behind her as the knight and ninja through away their mask and leaned against the nearest support they could find. The cowgirl's face slowly started to turn green as she swayed on her feet.

The only one that seemed to be taking it even halfway well was the former soldier and he had automatically thrown his now toy rifle hard enough against the wall to shatter it. He took a few breath to calm himself before turning his attention to the girl crying on the ground. "Rhonda..." Xander said awkwardly as he took a few steps towards her. He and the rest of the pack may have been avoiding each other like the plague since the incident but still, on some level he cared for all of them.

"Don't come near me!" she screamed gaining the rooms attention and causing Xander to flinch back "You liar! You said you'd stop this from happening again and look what happened! We lost our bodies again!"

"I never said I could stop it." He argued back, trying to sound soothing, "I said I would try."

"You didn't try hard enough" she spat back with as much venom as she could muster. The others looked on honestly feeling torn. Harris did promise that he'd try to make sure nothing like this would never happen to them again, saying that it was the reason he and his little friends were around. But on the other hand they lost control of their bodies again, something that was the focus of a number of their nightmares over the past few months.

"Tonight was supposed to be quite" he plead for her to understand, "Some sort of unofficial pact with the supernatural that nothing goes down on Halloween but this asshole..." Xander's voice trailed off as he stared at the empty spot the mage once laid, "God damn it! Did anyone see where he went?"

Every teen in the room came out of their individual stupors when they realized that the one that caused their problem had disappeared. "Damn it!" Tor the former knight yelled. "Where did that bastard go!"

"Does it even matter?" Kyle asked, "He's one of those magic bastards. Probably long gone by now. Like I should be." He didn't even bother grabbing his discarded mask as he left the door. Seconds later the rest of the pack left as well, leaving only Xander in the room feeling hurt, angry and sad all at the same time.

After the others left Xander stood still in that shop with his hand extended as if to stop them but he didn't. Because he was as scared as the rest of them. Their fears may be slightly different but they were there. Last time something like this happened he nearly raped one of his best friends and they killed and ate a good man.

He tried to reassure them after the fact that this wouldn't happen again, that he would do his best to prevent it from happening but he failed. He didn't know who to hate more, himself or that damn shop keeper.

Xander fist crashed into the glass counter, cracking the reinforced material and splitting his skin. "Damn it." he muttered as he eventually made his own way out.

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Rupert Giles jumped from his seat as Xander Harris stormed in with a furious look on his face. He was expecting to come storming in but rather than the boy he thought Willow, who's projection disappeared mid-conversation, or Buffy would be the ones to come in, not the boy. Obviously whatever happened earlier that night had truly effect the teen.

"Xan-"

"Giles!" Xander interrupted loudly, "I want a damn anti-possession spell! Now!" His voice a constant growl as he prowled through the room looking absolutely furious.

"Xander if could just calm down and tell me what happened..."

"We found each other Giles. I don't know how but we did!?" He paused "God, how did we find each other?"

Now Giles interest was truly peeked. He only got a rough idea of what happened from Willow before she disappeared, something about everyone becoming their costumes. They didn't get that far into the conversation before she started to fade away. "Xander who did you find?" He tried to ask gently but it seemed to distress the boy as he rung his fingers through his hair.

"My unit, my pack. We found each other, we hunted together, we killed together..." At first Xander's face screamed contentment at the memory before a dawning horror forced all color from his face, "Oh god those were kids. We killed kids!"

"Xander!" Giles yelled loud enough to gain the teen's attention, "Just calm down, take a seat and explain to me what happened."

At first the boy's face showed hesitance but he eventually followed the instructions and told his tale. Giles had listened silently and intently throughout it finding himself both intrigued and disturbed. He did not think there were going to be any after effects from Xander's exorcism earlier in the year but he should have known better, possessions always leave something behind. Always. And it would seem that whatever spell was cast that Halloween night jump started whatever bits that were left in Xander's "pack". And it would seem even with different spirits they were still a frighteningly effective force. Effective enough to stop the spell by themselves and kill many of the "demons" on their way to do it.

But even the killings didn't seem to be what was disturbing him the most, although it was a definite contributor, but the fact he had lost control of his body again. Admittedly the last time that had happened it was not a pleasant experience for anyone involved, so Giles could only imagine how the boy felt even if he didn't know an added third factor to the boy's grief.

It was because he was sure his pack hated him now. He told them he'd make sure that it would never happen again and then that bastard of a mage does this? If he ever saw that lowlife again then, then, actually he didn't know what he'd do but it was unlikely to be pleasant or legal. His hand tightened under the table enough to reopen his wound and cause him to wince, momentarily making him forget his problems.

"Damn it." He complained as he pressed his hand against the dark fabric of his clothes. There was already enough blood on them for him not to care anymore.

Giles had seemed to notice the bleeding and went to get the first aid kit. After pulling out the bandages Giles began to speak "There are a few spells and enchantments to prevent possession but they take time to prepare and to be perfectly honest I do not know any of them. It will take time."

Xander cursed under his breath, again, as he took the bandages from files and started to wrap his hand. "Fine just... get me when it's ready." After he taped his hand he left the room without another word, feeling too emotional exhausted to do anything else but fall into his bed.

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In our dreams we seem to know and understand ourselves the best. Demented landscapes and events telling deep truths without realization, things that make us feel naked as they are laid bare. So he watched the new truth to himself from a bird's eye view. The landscape could have been roughly described to be the African savannah except for the fact that the trees and grass were more indigenous to Korea and Vietnam. The strange field was filled with the pained yips and barks of a figure who stood on his knees in the middle of the field.

The source of the sounds came from a strange creature that could roughly be described as a beast man. Although the only bestial part of him was his hyena head and the rest of him was a simple human figure garbed in army fatigues. He howled and yipped as he moved through his terrain looking for them. He craved for them, he needed them.

Where was his pack?

Did they hate him?

Why weren't they there?

He let out another mournful bark as he continued his search.

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He wished Halloween was on a Friday, he really did, but the truth of the situation was that he woke up on a Thursday. So faced with the choice of being left at home with a drunk father who would yell at him and later have Willow pull him out the house by the ear or suffer through school he went with the latter.

Xander really didn't want to look at the streets, he knew there would be blood staining the concrete from where he and his pack had laid waste into the enemy. He felt both disgust and prideful of that fact, that the pack was strong enough to kill anything that breathed wrong near them. They were quick, brutal and most importantly, effective.

God, it was so wrong to feel so proud about killing kids.

His eyes seemed to follow his shoes the whole way to the school and even further into the library.

Giles noticing Xander arrival bade him to sit down with Willow and Buffy, "Come in Xander, we were just going over last nights... discrepancies." Xander did so but he still didn't look up from his feet, completely missing any greetings or glances from the girl's. "Yes, well" Giles started a little unnerved by the boy's sullen attitude. Hopefully what he was about to say would cheer up the boy "As I was saying, damage from last night is not as bad as we feared." Pausing for a moment to let that idea fill their minds he continued "It would seem that it was the invading spirit that took the damage and left the children relatively unharmed."

Xander perked up for a second before he called bullshit, "Even the ones that lost their heads?" He asked skeptically and felt the guilt that was slowly waning come back full force when Giles looked away. "Yeah, thought not."

"Whoa!" Buffy called, tired of the males' byplay, "What are you two on about?"

Xander looked down again while Giles coughed to gain attention, "It would seem that last night Xander's... persona found a... unit that he was quite effective with. Effective enough to have found the source of last night's... adventure and ended the spell by themselves." Buffy's and Willow's eyes went a little wide at that information. Neither one would admit it out loud, at least not now, but they were pissed that whoever Xander was didn't stay to help them. "Whether fortunate or not, they also proved to be very good at killing the "demon" population last night."

The room was silent for a moment as the girl's processed all the information Giles had given them as well as what little Xander had said. Eventually they came to a near simultaneous "Oh." when they realized what was being implied.

"Speaking of which," Giles started trying to direct the conversation, "Where did your team find the center of the spell?"

"At that place where we got our costumes" Xander said, "Ethan's or whatever."

Giles stiffened for a moment before his accent slipped into something that sounded much more harsh, "Oh really?" A chill ran down Buffy and Willow's backs at his cold tone. "And the owner?"

"Was gone after we broke the statue." Giles scowled for reasons only known to himself and went to his office with barely even a mumble about how he needed to check on something. Leaving only the girls and Xander to shift through their memories of the night and putting the trio in a silence.

Willow tried to start a conversation but how do you comfort a friend about killing children, even if he didn't have control over himself. She wanted to be a little mad at him if not for the children's sake then for Buffy's. She wasn't her usual Slayer self and was almost raped if not for the timely intervention of Angel. The blonde was still a little shaken up by it.

At this point Willow didn't know who hated possession more, Xander who lost control of his body twice or Buffy who was nearly raped twice because of it.

The Library door slowly opened breaking the silence and drawing the three teens' attention to the blonde that entered. "Harris, can we talk?"

Xander was instantly to his feet and made his way over to her. "Yeah, sure. Want to go somewhere else?"

Rhonda peered over at Buffy and Willow who were giving her a strange look and nodded her head. As Xander guided the girl out of the library Buffy spoke up with a worried tone, "Was that who I thought it was?"

"Uh-huh." Neither like the prospect of Xander hanging out with anyone from that group so they quickly stumbled out of their seats to follow them. Class wasn't going to start ten minutes so the halls were muddled and filled with chatting students. "Do you see them?"

"No." Buffy growled out in irritation as she strained her supernatural ears and eyes to their limit but all she got was a headache from all the noise.

Down the hall in an empty class rooms Xander and Rhonda were having a heart to heart. Rhonda bit her lip as Xander stood patiently in front of her. "I just..." She started. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't really mean any of it. I was freaking you know?" She looked up at him with a half pleading look.

"It's okay. I wasn't exactly thinking straight either. I don't think any of us wanted to go through with that again." He gave her his usual crooked smile but there was something behind it, something caring. She smiled at him unsurely before nodding, which in turn made him smile all the wider before he sobered himself up. "Look, if you, or the others, ever need to talk or well anything, I'm here. If you need me."

That seemed to trigger something in the girl as she basically flung herself to hug him. He was shocked at first but easily phased into and even nuzzled her hair. "Thank you." she said as she did the same into his chest.

"Uh, anytime."

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Over the next week Xander had found himself in similar conversations with the rest of the pack and to be honest he loved every conversation. And after every conversations he quickly became friends with each of them. Soon it wasn't an odd occurrence to see the five of them talking during breaks or lunch and there were multiple sightings of them together after school.

Of course Buffy and Willow took notice of this and didn't like it. Not only were they some of the biggest bullies on the campus, they together with Xander represented a very dark time in their personal history.

So at first they were direct about it, voicing their dislike to him but his response stopped that plan. "They're just in a bad place right now, you know, after the whole 'I've been possessed twice' thing. They needed somebody to talk to and I'm the one that get's it. Besides they're not that bad once you get to know them". So after that they started to play it a little sneakier. Dragging him along to the Bronze and insisting that whatever they're researching was important.

It was working, Xander was spending less time with the pack and the pack didn't like it.

And so Willow took the brunt of this anger one day when she went to the little girl's room. She was just washing her hands when Heidi and Rhonda came up to either side of her. She let out a squeak sound as Heidi slammed her hand on the side of the wall. "What the hell is your problem Rosenberg?"

"W-what?"

"You and Summers aren't letting Xander out to play." She rasped as she leaned towards Willow with a pissed off look on her face. "And it's getting on our nerves."

"W-what do you mean?" The red head evaded as she tried to make some space between her and Heidi but she was quickly blocked off by Rhonda who mimicked her friend's position.

"You know damn well what we mean." Rhonda growled, "You're keeping Xander from us! You and Summers keep pulling him away when he's with us! We want to know why!" At this point every other girl in the bathroom decided it was a good time to vacate.

"N-no we're not."

Heidi slammed her fist into the wall. "You're a shitty liar little girl, you know that?"

"Eep."

Heidi seemed to be restraining herself a great deal as she pressed on, "Seriously just lay off, alright? He's allowed to have friends besides you two ain't he?"

Willow snapped, "He doesn't need friends like you!"

"And who are you to decide that!? Huh? What gives you the right?" Rhonda growled out the last sentence as she leaned in to look Willow eye to eye. The red head kept on trying to keep eye contact with the blonde but found it more difficult than she could imagine. She tried to compare her to the monsters she had faced with Buffy over the years and then added in her own feelings for Xander into it but she quickly found herself coming up short as Rhonda kept up her steady glare.

Eventually Willow's green eyes looked down.

"Tch," Heidi scoffed as she pushed off the wall finding the prey too pathetic even for her. But Rhonda didn't stop she just pushed on. Demanding from the girl why she thought she could have any decision over Xander's life. Asking what made her so damn important that she had the godly power to know what's right for him.

The only time the demands even seemed like they were going to stop were two minutes into the conversation when Summers appeared but all that did was give Rhonda another target. In the end Heidi had to pull the blonde away before the teacher's showed up.

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Xander laughed and laughed alongside Tor and Kyle as they had a free for all match. The pack had remembered a lot from their recent possession and shared the wealth to the others. From boot camps to making rope everything was shared between the five. They didn't scoff at anything that they could learn because they were learning it together.

The group relationship was strange to say the least, but at the same time it was natural. There wasn't even a brief pause for them to get used to Xander he just... fit, falling into place as their ever defacto leader. And then there was the boundary issue, as in they had no boundaries. When they sat together they often became a pile of limbs with heads resting wherever they landed.

They weren't even sure what they were to each other besides Important, yes with a capital I. And at some point they didn't even care, they just were. And what they were was getting stronger. Different teachings blended together as they taught each other and moved as one.

Luckily Sunnydale had no shortage of prey for them to practice their strength on.

**AN:**

**If I ever do this story I wouldn't do it nearly as half assed. I got the idea after reading the Hyena Pit and scourging the sites for more like it... I failed. Anyway the basic idea of this, if you haven't already gotten it, is that when the Halloween spell came around it kind of restarted the bits that were the hyenas giving the group the proxy powers. I'm thinking about weaker hyena powers, like making them stronger, not slayer strong, heal a bit quicker, better senses, be able to find each other and have a creepy ambient laughter that follows them when they're worked up.**

**Not going to lie the original idea was set during Zeppo and the pack immediately picked Xander up after they heard the Scoobies were leaving him out and it would eventually turn into "you threw him out, he's ours now, nah nah a boo boo" type deal but I'm kind of feeling how this went.**

**The relationship of the pack... it would be very interesting to write and it would make alot of those annoying yaoi girl's scream about the subtext... I hate them.**

**Have alot of ideas and scenes in my head for this one.**

**Anyway tell me what you think and peace. **


	7. I Was Somebody

**I love the game, I've played it a dozen times over and rarely see a good enough fic for it. I've seen some others try this crossover and honestly the only decent one was a oneshot by Semet.**

**Summary: In one world he felt so lost but in another he found a place for himself. What will he do when he is dragged back to the world where he was lost?**

**Story: I Was A Somebody There**

The elf and the mage watched in open awe as they watched the clash of legends. They had seen him in action in a few small battles that they had on their way there and he was impressive then too. Creatures that would have taken them hours to defeat, or just outright kill the two of them, fell to his experienced hands like they were barely a challenge to him anymore. In fact, he seemed oddly enthusiastic when the Varterral jumped down from the building.

Finn and Ariane had been knocked out of the way quickly by the creature but he was practically dancing between the creatures five legs and stubbornly followed it when it tried to run away. He was almost terrifying to watch as he fought. Purple blood staining his grey and gold Commander's armor, an ugly snarl visible on his lips as he let out a battle cry and his two masterpieces of swords making a presence all in themselves.

Starfang's alien metal practically sang as it cut through the air, a cold energy crackled with power as it followed his swipe through. It's steely blue coloring a blur as it swirled in his hands, the unique curves of the blade collecting the thick purple blood of its opponent.

In his other hand roaring with fire was his sword Vigilance. The beautiful amber colored sword was basically breathing fire with every swing the Hero of Ferelden took. The dragon bone sword actually seemed to be screaming victory every time it seared the creature's flesh.

The two completely unique and powerful blades twirled in his hand with a practiced familiarity. Thieves across the land would chop off their left nut and arm to get their remaining hand on just one of those swords, and if they were lucky they got to keep that remaining hand.

It was almost disappointing how little drama there was when the creature finally fell, no fan fare, it just collapsed from it's injuries and suffered a slow, painful death. The Warden spat to the side and tried to wipe as much blood off himself as he could, mumbling the whole time.

"C'mon." He called out to them with his strange accent when he was apparently satisfied. "Let's go."

His two companions nodded numbly as they followed him into the ancient building but for the life of him the Warden couldn't figure out what their problem was. Of course one must realize that he was used to fighting with people with near equal or greater strength and or skill than him. So to him he was wondering why they hadn't taken more swings at the monster when they had a chance.

But all stray though disappeared from his mind as they entered the building's main cavern. It was eerily similar to the room where he killed the Mother nearly a year ago. His whole body tensed as his hands went for his swords, his eyes flickering around for a Darkspawn to come crawling out from the very cracks of the floor.

"What? Do you see something?" Finn asked a bit skittishly.

The Warden shook his head "No... The place just looks way to familiar for comfort." he said as he tried to coax his body to relax, making pointed observations how the two areas differed. "C'mon, let's keep going."

The large cavern was indeed different than it counterpart, less fleshy and lacking in the skittering sound of the Children. All he could see in the new cavern so far was barren moss covered ground and dragon bones, not that was settling him at all. But it was at the end of the cavern that grabbed the group's attention.

A lone island sat on a mass of water and on it held his goal.

She was just there in front of a large mirror framed by two giant stone elves, pacing as if she was waiting for something. He had paused mid step just to stare at her, to memorize every little detail as if he was looking for pieces he had forgotten. He had almost forgotten how beautiful she was.

His admiration was broken when Finn had started to rush forward "The Eluvian!" he exclaimed as his eyes landed on the mirror "And it's... Glowing!? We must," Finnn went to take another step forward but Ariane stopped him.

The Warden barely registered their byplay as he watched his goal move. Her form swaying as she walked the steps up to the base of the mirror. Her finger's grazed the purple surface, causing ripples to form as she trailed them along. The woman pause for just a moment as she looked over her shoulder, verifying that he was there.

"I, I think she's waiting for you." The elf gently said, as she had an idea on how much the Warden had craved this moment. The Warden gave a nervous nod that helped steel his nerves as he walked forward. "Remember to ask her about our book." She added as he walked away, trying to remind him why she was there but she knew that it was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

The Warden was forced to stop at the bottom of the steps with one simple sentence from her, "No further please." She demanded in that roundabout way of hers. "One more step and I leave, for good this time." Regret and longing plain in her voice telling him just how much she didn't want to leave.

Though his lips couldn't help but quirk up in the joy of seeing her and make one of his odd little quips "Hello to you too, Morrigan"

She didn't seem even mildly amused "I assume you know what this is. I have gone to great lengths to find and activate this portal. Give me reason and I use it, and you will not be able to follow."

The Warden's eyes dropped for a moment, feeling more than a little hurt that she would leave again so easily, before coming back up to look back into her golden eyes, "I didn't come here to fight you."

Her face softened from the hardened state she was forcing it to keep, "I did not think you had." She said, her voice again leaking her emotions before steeling herself once more. "Now, tell me why you have come."

He told her honestly, "I couldn't let it end like that." He couldn't just let her walk away, to just disappear with only a few words between them, to leave while she was pregnant. That moment when he realized she really did leave after the battle with the Archdemon had broken his heart.

Morrigan let out a snort, "And you once argued with me that love is not weakness. I will never understand you. And you will never understand me."

"I'll never understand if you don't help me."

Once again her face broke to show her true feelings, "I... I would not even know where to begin."

"Our child?" He suggested, asking for a thought that had been haunting his thoughts since she left.

"He is safe," So it was a boy, he had a son! "And beyond your reach." Wait, what? "All you need know is that the child is an innocent. He knows nothing of the destiny that lies before him."

"That's not good enough." He gritted out, anger flaring for the first time since he entered the cavern.

"Because the child is yours?" She queried before nodding, "I understand. I will not share my plan with you. If your trust is insufficient, then your anger will have to do"

His teeth still clenched and eyes narrowed "Plan? What are your plans for him? I want to know!" He felt slight shame when his mind started to compare her to her mother and the old woman's plans for Morrigan.

"My plan is to leave, and prepare the child for what is to come. Such preparation requires time. And power. I must have both if I am to be successful. More than this, I dare not say." She paused as she gained control of her emotions, "Even to you."

Still angered over the fact she didn't want him to see his child he accused her "You just used me to get what you wanted!"

Now her face fully broke to show how hurt and angry she was over what he said. "I fought with you! I put my life on the line to aid your quest! And then the battle came too soon. I had no choice but to go to you, I did not want to see you die. And here you stand, alive. So do dare not speak to me of betrayal!" He had the grace to look aside in shame knowing that what she said was true, "Now let me leave you with a warning." She said, venom still in her voice "'Tis Flemeth you should beware of, not me. Hunt her if you hunt anyone"

"Flemeth?" His anger fading away for shock. "Flemeth is dead." He killed the old shape shifting crone to keep Morrigan safe.

"My mother has tricked her way past death and more. She is no more finished than I am." She said, anger slowly leaving her form as she gave her beloved her warning. In fact horror and fear started to worm their way through her heart as a dozen thoughts of what her mother would do to her precious Warden and child when she gained strength again, "I thought I knew what Flemeth planned. I thought what she craved was immortality. And yet I was wrong. So very wrong. She is no blood mage, no abomination... She is not even truly human. The ritual was but a means to an end, a herald for what is to come."

The Warden's body tensed, his anger fading way for his own worry, "What is going to come?" He asked, fully ready to do whatever he could to defend what was his and defeat whatever stood in his way. Just like he always did.

"Change" Was her answer "Change is coming to the world. Many fear change and will fight it with every fiber of their being. But sometimes change is what they need most. Sometimes change is what sets them free."

"Is that what you want?" He asked, dots trying to connect themselves, "To be free?"

Her face completely lost her mask as half a dozen emotions swept over her face and her voice cracked "What I want... is unimportant now."

"Yes it is Morrigan." He insisted "It's always been important."

She bit her lip and shook her head, trying to banish tempting thoughts "I cannot tarry longer. The time has come for me to go." She moved to step though the portal.

On impulse and desire he stepped forward, "Take me with you."

She paused, eyes wide as she turned to look at him "You.. . cannot know what you ask. T'would be better if you stayed. For you, for me, for us both" Temptation and heart break mixed in her answer, her voice cracking as she tried to force herself to stick to her plan.

In her daze she never noticed him clearing the steps between them and slipping her slender hand into his metal covered one. "I want to be there for you, for our son, no matter what."

One sentence had crumbled what little resolve she had left as her fingers started to lace themselves with his, "Then come, my love, let us face the future together." An earnest smile swept over her face as she finished her new vow by sealing it with a kiss. She knew her damn romantic Warden was mentally comparing this to a wedding, a duo of vows sealed with a kiss, but she would not be bound in such mundane ways... Without alot of coaxing.

A dopy smile was plastered to his face as her fingers lingered against his armored chest. She let a satisfied look spread over her face at his expression before turning around once again towards the portal. A small thrill spread through her as she felt him walk next to her, maybe she could have what she wanted. Maybe she could have a family, to live happily with the man she loved and her child. Maybe it could be more than a foolish daydream.

She watched with amusement as he tentatively put his hand flat on the Eluvian's surface and watched the surface ripple like water. When he was done playing with it he stepped back and gave her a smile. An expression she returned as she took the first step forward through the portal with him following shortly after her.

Most would think that a portal instantly lead place to place, from one destination to another, but the truth was there was a short path one must walk before getting to the other side. In truth it was rarely more than five strides from one end to another but those five steps could be disorienting in the colorful void that it presented itself in.

In that void between worlds beyond their own and the fade the reunited lovers walked, only to be torn from each other once again.

Unnatural stands of deep red sprang from the colored voided and wound themselves around the Warden. He dug his feet into the ground and called out to Morrigan. The witch paused in sheer terror as she watched the red tendrils of energy try to claim her love. But she wouldn't let it end like that as she tossed spell after spell against the seemingly invincible red energy that was dragging her love away from her.

In a desperate attempt she grabbed onto his out stretched hand and tried to pull his bulk towards the end of the portal. But in the end she failed as the unnatural red energy forcibly pulled him away, leaving both of them yelling for the other.

"Morrigan!" He yelled, his hand clawing at the air and for her.

"Alexander!" Her voice shrill as it called out for him and her magic did a desperate tug of war with whatever was pulling her love away. The void gave silent shakes as she struggled against the force but she had eventually lost and was forced to watch her Warden disappear into the myriad of colors. Leaving her to her tears and rage.

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Alexander landed hard upon the ground, his armor loudly clanging with the impact and rattling him to the bones. Groaning he took a look around his surroundings and found himself with little to no clue as to where he was. The only obvious clue he had was that he was at ground zero for a recently burned down building, other than that he had no idea.

Shakily he stood and stared around trying to take everything in, looking for a hint of Morrigan. He knew he wouldn't find any trace of her after he was pulled away by whatever it was. With all the engrained caution he had gained over the years he drew Starfang and made his way away from his landing zone.

There was something familiar about the wreckage but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Eventually he found his answer when he left the wreckage and saw the rest of the town. Uniform buildings, artificial sidings and light a dominant feature in all, but in back of his memory he recognized them and knew where he was. "I'm home?"

Five, even three years ago that fact would have filled him joy but now, after he had built a life for himself in Fereldan he felt lost, angry. "No, no, no, no." He growled out as his eyes battled whether or not they wanted to narrow in anger or widen in shock. What would happen to his men, his people? No, he trusted his lieutenants, they could handle rebuilding Warden's Keep. His real problem was if Morrigan would wait for him now? And wonder if he would ever get to see his son?

He let out a howl of rage that jarred through the night, scaring away and attracting the various predators of his home town. He needed to get back, he had to get back. He was just with her, he was about to have what he always wanted but it was stolen from him. Someway, somehow, it was stolen from him.

He was going to get back, back to Morrigan if nothing else. He would do it, no matter what it took.

The only problem was that this was a problem embedded in magic and he was no mage. He needed help, and he had an idea on who to ask but there were a few problems with that idea.

The first and foremost in his mind was that it's been roughly five years. Things change, people move on. There was a chance they weren't even in Sunnydale anymore. Willow probably at some big name university with OZ, Buffy trying for the picket fenced life somewhere while killing monsters on the side, and Giles... he didn't know , went back to England maybe. He could try Mrs. Summers but there came his second problem, he didn't remember Sunnydale.

For the life of him he couldn't remember anybody lived, even his own childhood home.

So he quickly came up with a new plan. Find who might know, ask them, if they don't answer beat them up, if that doesn't work kill their friends and ask again. It's worked before.

And it would work again.

If he remembered right there should be something that knew was in one of the many cemeteries that littered the town.

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Buffy Summers was doing one of her usual wide patrols of the town. Summers were usually slow and honestly required little Slaying. Giles said it was the vampire's adverse reaction to the heat, whatever that means, and the few night hours. It was a nice little break before things got difficult again.

So her interest was piqued when a vampire, still in its game face, came stumbling out of one the cemeteries with frost and ash on its clothing. So naturally Buffy stopped him, "And where do you think you're going?"

The vampire panicked when he saw who was holding him by his collar. He never saw her face to face before but her description was spread throughout Sunnydale. Blonde, blue eyes, short and could lift you like you were a house cat. When you see all those things in one girl you ran, hell it was the reason why vampires rarely went after blondes anymore. They did not want to be killed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"I swear I didn't tell him anything!"

Buffy blinked, "Tell who what?"

"The dude in the armor!" The vampire yelled, seeing an out to possibly surviving, "He's tearing through graveyards asking about you and your friends. But I didn't tell him anything!" Mostly because he really didn't know anything... and he started to run away as fast as he could when one of his swords went on fire."

Buffy's eyes narrowed as she took in that little bit of information. Somebody was looking into the Scoobies? Did that mean a new Big Bad was in town? Already?

With a new line of determination Buffy staked the terrified vampire before heading into the cemetery. She could already hear screams when she entered the area and when she entered she could see the reason for the screams.

There were only two vampires left, one as pinned into the found by a steel blue sword screaming in pain as a light amount of frost spread around the wound and the other was sweating and scampering back from an armored figure with a flaming sword in hand. She of course focused on the last figure and how whatever he was set off her Slaydar something fierce.

"You will tell me what I want to know." He growled, advancing a step and placing his sword an inch away from the vampire's nose.

"I'm telling you man! I don't Know anything!" It begged "It's best just to avoid them you know?"

"Then you're useless." He barely had to thrust his shoulder forward as the flames of his blade quickly ate away at the undead creature. The figure then let out a "Tch" sound as he looked down at the pile of ash before moving on to the Vampire still pinned to the ground "So are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

When the vampire let out a whimper of pain Buffy moved. She didn't like it when people drew out kills, sure she made a quip in just about every fight she was in but she tried to keep it quick. Especially after her little bitch episode after the Master's defeat.

"Hey, tin man, looking for little ol' me?" She practically yelled as she made her entrance, gaining the armored figures attention. And when she did have it she paused for just a second to take in just how frightening the guy looked. Sure she dealt with vampires and demons all the time but there was just something off putting about a man in a full set of armor with his face shadowed by his helmet. Not to mention the two obviously enchanted swords in his hands.

"Buffy?" He asked, almost absently killing his weakened opponent as he stood.

"That's me." she said, wishing she had something better than a stake to fight with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer. How would you like your ass kicked today?"

The man seemed confused and even a little worried, "But... you can't be. You look so young."

"Hey! I'm 18 asshole." Buffy cried indignantly, she was not a kid.

His hand tightened around his swords as his voice became an emotional growl, "This can't be right."

Buffy almost jumped as her fight or flight instincts sky rocketed up. This guy was pissed about something but he still seemed to want to talk and not trying to kill her with his swords.

"How long has it been since graduation?"

The Slayer's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Uh, I don't know... Four months?"

"No." It was almost whispered at first so she had barely caught it with her enhanced hearing but after he repeated it a few more times she could hear it clear as day. His body started to shake as the information processed to the point Buffy started worry. "I need to see Giles."

But not that much "Uh, I'm thinking no." Like hell was she letting something so wiggy near Giles, or anyone else for that matter.

"Buffy! Please! I forgot where he lives! I just want to get back!" he plead sincerely and confusing Buffy.

"You know Giles?"

The man sheathed his swords, which calmed Buffy's nerves to settle just a little, and took off his helmet "Of course I know Giles." The face was familiar and so was the voice now that she thought about it. Both seeming older she was used to and features she didn't recognize, like a slight accent or a scar on his chin, appeared. But it was still enough for her to realize who it was.

"Xander?"

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The group sat in a very uncomfortable silence with the only clear sound filling the room being the echoes of the shower. The Scoobies should honestly be used to this having dealt with two similar situations in the past, one where Angel returned from a hell dimension and another where a vampire version of Willow wanted to return home.

But this was different, this wasn't some vampire copy trying to get home or a... friend? triumphantly, to some, returning. This was a friend returning home from wherever and wanting to go back. Or at least that's what most of them have heard. They had just arrived to Giles apartment and gained a brief summary of what was going on.

And not all of them were taking it well.

"But why would he want to go back?" Willow asked feeling a bit hysterical. She may have been on some rocky terms with her childhood friend when he left but that didn't mean she didn't want to mend their friendship. But if he went back to wherever she would never have the chance to do that.

"Willow, please remember it's been much longer for him than it has been for us." Giles gently reminded "Things change over time, people grow and build lives for themselves. God only knows what he left behind."

"But look what he brought with him!" Buffy said as she held up a curvy blue sword, "So shiny!" She would have grabbed the brass colored one but she was pretty sure it growled at her.

"Buffy..." Giles said rubbing his forehead in exasperation "Please don't swing unknown magical swords around my apartment."

"Aw." Buffy whined as she placed the sword next to the rest of Xander's things on the coffee table, giving the swords a lingering a glance before turning her attention back to the conversation.

"Can we do it?" Willow asked, before amending the sentence. "Do we want to do it?"

"I... am unsure" Giles said "The time with the Vampiric Willow was because of a time loop that Willow had accidentally created. We had the caster and could easily track back where she belonged. But what aided us last time will be a hindrance this time. People are attracted, or bound, to the dimension of their birth. They are drawn to it naturally, and the stronger the magical connection the more it pulls."

"Is that how Angel came back?"

Giles reframed his scowl. As much as Buffy forgave the ensouled vampire Giles never could. He was tortured by the vampire when he lost his soul and then the Englishman lost the woman he loved. He could stand him as an ally, barely, but he would never like him. And in honestly, soul or no soul, Giles wish the son of a bitch stayed in hell, "Perhaps."

"But we can?" Oz asked getting them back on track.

"It would be difficult. We'd have to pinpoint which reality Xander arrived from... a better question in my mind is if it would be worth it. We have already seen signs of the time difference in Xander and with how long this may take us it could be years before we could return him."

"So he doesn't go back?" Willow asked with poorly disguised hope.

"We could still try, we should still try." Giles said, remembering how desperate the boy... no, man wanted to return.

Willow pouted and looked away, making it obvious she wasn't in support of the plan.

"I'm still not convinced it is Xander." After receiving looks from Willow and Oz she explained that he was setting off her Slaydar. "He said it was probably because of the order he joined. The Gray somethings."

Giles interrupted with a simple 'Warden'

"Whatever. Said they drank blood to track their enemies, which is eww. So its kinda like when that demon bled on me, but he drank it, which is again, ew. But can we trust that."

"Seeing as how he didn't try to kill you when you saw each other? For now, yes."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Giles." a familiar but deeper voice said as it entered the room. Willow scanned her childhood friend's form, comparing and contrasting the him she knew from before to the him of now. His skin was darker, hair longer, back a bit straighter and his shoulders broader. All these things could be considered normal in both shape and form but the made Xander not so Xander shaped anymore. And she wanted to know where the hell that scar on his chin came from and who was going to get a flying pencil to the eye.

But those things, along with the bit of stubble and water clinging to him, gave him that hot older guy look that she knew Buffy was appreciating too.

"So when can you send me back?"

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Xander wanted to kill something. He really wanted to kill something.

Giles had explained to him what was going on and what they were trying to do. He said that they would try but it would be difficult and would take time. Time that didn't synch with his new homeland's. Days in Sunnydale could be weeks there and there was nothing he could do about it besides bite his lip and wait.

But over the last few years he had grown into a restless man. He always needed to do something, be somewhere. He could always find some menial quest or chore to do to occupy his time. But in the here in now of Sunnydale he didn't have that. He had modern connivances that were now just novel luxuries to him. Things he remembered taking for granted but could live without now if needed.

Now a television couldn't occupy his mind, not when a feeling not unlike the approach of Darkspawn crawled through his mind. He could feel them, scampering underneath the ground, like he was in the Dwarven city of Ozammar again. He could ignore it easily if he wished but he was angry and bored.

So with Starfang and Vigilance in hand he left the guest room of Giles' apartment and began to show Sunnydale how a Gray Warden fought. Diving into the sewer system and spending hours hunting and fighting whatever jumped out at him.

He'd give vampires one thing, they were faster than many things that he had grown used to fighting but rarely were they as strong. And they didn't even try to swarm him, he knew they were mostly solo hunters but they could honestly do better.

It was good stress relief though.

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He didn't know if he should feel bad about feeling so grateful about Buffy and Willow leaving him alone so they could go to college.

They kept on treating him like he was still Xander the class clown and recent graduate of Sunnydale High. He wasn't, he was a man of many title but those were not in his top ten. He had lead men to their deaths and glory as they defended their homes and country. He had killed things that would make even Buffy flinch and even puke at the sight of. Hell he probably had more kills than Buffy at that point.

He gained the respect of a nation, of kingdoms, but in Sunnydale most of the time he didn't seem to live up to more than a joke.

He loved them, he honestly did. While he was trapped in Fereldan he missed them something fierce, they were the family he could never reach or touch again. But now that he was here he wanted nothing more than to leave. He wanted more than what he had in Sunnydale, what he was going to have before he was dragged away.

"Xander?"

"What!" He snapped and regretted a second later when he saw Giles shocked face "Sorry... What do you need?"

"I was just wondering what you would like for dinner." The older man said gently before pausing to force out his question, "May I ask what's wrong?"

Xander opened his mouth and closed it as his mind gave a quick internal debate. He honestly didn't want to dump more on them but this has been weighing on his mind. "I have a kid Giles." he explained as he twirled the wooden ring on his finger, "A son. I was about to see him for the first time, ever, when I was dragged back here."

The bed shifted as Giles slumped down, Xander didn't look at him, he just kept on twirling his ring, "Why was that going to be the first time you saw him? Were you at war?" Giles asked thinking about the separation war caused, especially in the mid-evil settings that Xander's armor displayed.

While Giles thought that Xander almost let out a snort. He supposed part of his lack of respect problem was because he didn't share enough of his life in Fereldan with his old friends. "No, we were before and that's why he was born."

"What?"

"We weren't at war with any ol' nation Giles." Xander explained, seemingly avoiding the conversation of his child. "We were fighting Darkspawn, think the missing link between zombies and vampires. They usually stay quite underground until an old god is infected with their taint. That's when they all start to rally together to make everyone else's life miserable."

"Dear lord! A god?"

"Looked more like a dragon than anything but that was our big problem. They are a pain in the ass to kill and if you did kill the thing would just go into the nearest thing with the taint and re-grow. That's why the Warden's are needed, why we take in the taint, so that when we kill the 'Arch-demon' we absorb that old god soul and we die taking it with us. But... Morrigan had other plans."

"Morrigan?" Giles asked, a little dazed even by the limited information Xander was giving him.

"My... Lover" Yeah, that was the best term for her, "She's a witch, the best damn one you'll ever meet." He bragged "Had a similar issue as Amy with her mother, except Flemeth had been doing it for centuries. We stopped the bitch from using her though. Anyway, the original reason why she joined my group was to do this ritual that would save my life, but in the beginning she didn't care about that. She just wanted the old god's soul. You know how witches are, they want to preserve everything."

"What does she want with the child?" Giles asked suspiciously and earned himself a heavy glare from Xander, even if the other man wondered that himself a hundred times over.

"She... wants to support change and support it as far away from her mother, who refuses to have the good grace to stay dead." Xander growled out "I hate her for leaving, for leaving before I could support her or see my child but... I still love her. We've been through too much for me not to."

Giles was silent but offered his silent and a bit confused support by patting the man's shoulder.

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Xander wanted to growl as Buffy and Willow took him to the Bronze. He didn't want to be there, to be in that loud room filled with kids, kids who knew nothing about war and horror. Why couldn't he just got o a bar and get a nice stiff drink.

Oh, that's right, because the Xander they knew would never drink and because they wanted everything to go back to normal. Like Xander was 19 and not 24. He honestly couldn't take it and got up to leave.

"Xander? Where are you going?" Willow asked as she took her eyes off of Oz and his band.

"Back to Giles'" He said easily enough, wishing that guy Giles found would just hurry up and sell some of his golden sovereigns so he could have his own place. A little home at the edge of town, where he could visit but still have his space. Away from all the noise of the modern world.

"C'mon, Xander stay just a bit longer." she begged, reaching out to take his hand but he moved away.

"No, I just want to go back." He said, already planning to do maintenance on his armor and swords. "Have fun. Later."

Willow watched sadly as her friend walked away. She felt like she didn't even know him anymore. He was so quite now, sure he asked questions, a lot of them actually, but they were almost all to the point. Trying to delve deeper to find what he wanted. It actually made her want to cry sometimes. It was like he wasn't even Xander anymore.

"Hey Wills." Buffy greeted as she came up to the table "Where's Xan?"

"He went home." She said with a pout.

"Again?" Buffy asked feeling slightly annoyed. Xander kept on leaving whenever they wanted to hang out. Sure he sat down to eat dinner with her and her mom when she invited him and watched movies, with a glee that was a little creepy, but when they went to the Bronze he always ended up disappearing. "We'll check on him later alright? But right now we deserve to have some fun without it being dampened by mister grumpy."

Willow hesitated but eventually gave a nod "Yeah!"

Back at Giles apartment Xander was polishing Vigilance's blade in the living room, enjoying the unheard purr from the blade. It was mindless and distracting work that he took some joy out of, especially when a well maintained kept him alive in the field. Putting the dragon bone sword to the side Xander picked up Starfang to start its maintenance.

So wrapped in his work he didn't notice someone pounding on Giles' door nor did he notice when Giles opened the door but he did notice when someone barged into the home. "Now see here!" Giles called after the woman who forced her way into his home. "You can't just..."

"Yes, yes. I'm a terrible person." The woman said flippantly as she strolled into the room. The sound of her voice snapped Xander's head up from his sword to stare up her with wide eyes. "I've just come for what is mine."

Despite his shock Xander couldn't help but remark, "So you can claim ownership over me but I can't over you?" Giles blinked at the familiarity in Xander's voice, even with the broken tempo that it held.

"And that is why you wear the ring and I do not" She said with a smirk, her eyes softened as she saw his eyes roam from hers to the squirming mass in her arms. She crossed the room to reach her frozen love and took a seat next to him. "This is Aedan." She said gently, introducing Xander to the child "Aedan, this is Alexander, your father."

The toddler reaching the age of two stared up at the new man with his golden eyes, his head tilted to the side slightly in confusion as he reached up and touched the man's cheek. The man's rough and callused hand gently held onto that tiny hand "Hey little guy. It's great to finally meet you." The baby made a meaningless word as he gripped onto one of the man's fingers, tugging on it playfully.

"Oh look, the mighty Warden Commander is crying." Morrigan said with an amused but affectionate snort.

"Oh, be quite woman" Xander said with a smile as he looked up at her. Joy flushing over his face as he looked up at her and the feeling of his child tugging on his digit. "How?"

"The Eluvian was just... additional research to what I was already working on." She said, her free hand reaching out and cupping his cheek, which he leaned into, "A project I have found more than rewarding."

Giles shifted uncomfortably as he watched the reunion, feeling truly out of place. And a bit of fear when he realized just how powerful of a witch she had to be to traverse the dimensional walls and find Xander by herself.

Well, that and how Buffy and Willow would react when they saw this scene.

**... Can I just say I'm surprised I wrote this, because it only took two days to write and everything else seems to be on pause... for now.**

**Anyway, this is a crossover with Dragon Age Origins. Xander got sent there near the beginning of his road trip when he couldn't leave well enough alone and decided to stop a group of mages from making a sacrifice so they could go to the "Mage's Holyland" aka the Tevinter Imperium. Xander spent his first year there both working on how to get home and living off the jobs from the Chantry Board. After that he was recruited by Duncan and basically did the game and its DLCs. **

**He's a combo of a rouge and a warrior from the game. Learning what he could from fellow squad members and what he could pick up around Fereldan. So far I figure he'd be a Templar, a Berserker, a Bard and an Assassin... and I'd like a little bit of Reaver in there. **

**The story could go a few ways but I'm kind of liking the idea of Morrigan having to get used to the modern world and how The Warden and The Witch effect S4.**

**Falshbacks a strong part of the story. He wanted to be there for Morrigan while she gave birth, and the ring made him know when it happened.**


	8. To Touch Heaven

**Warning! Warning! Warning!**

**This idea is not Xander-Centered, it's most likely Willow-centered. So you know, leave if that's all you're here for. If not, enjoy.**

**Summary: **They have been chosen. To be given a chance to touch the power of the gods. How far are they willing to go to get it?

**Story: To Touch Heaven **

Richard Wilkins, the first through third, tightened his right hand in irritation. He was mostly over it now, or so he told himself.

Near a century's worth of planning and preparation ruined by a random event. An event more powerful then himself and if it didn't ruin all of his plans he would have welcomed it. Heck, he might have thrown a parade, very festive. But now the very presence of the event was overpowering the Hellmouth and cleansing the air.

The Heaven's Feel has come to Sunnydale.

An occurrence that none knew if it was manmade or gift from the gods. What they did know was that without a doubt it was powerful and sentient on a level. Roughly every sixty years the phenomenon would appear in some city or town with enough magical power to offer a prize. A single wish with the power to do anything, no strings attached.

The only catch, you have to earn it. You have to prove yourself the most worthy, the most powerful, the one with the greatest motivation. He and at least six other magi of all different sort would fight to the death, to prove themselves to be of great enough worth to touch the very heavens.

The age halted mage rose his right hand up to once again to look at the irritating symbol that marred his skin. Bright red and twisted it seemed to glow against his pale skin.

Again despite his irritation of decades of work being poured down the drain he felt a massing feeling of pride spread through his chest. Only the most accomplished, motivated, or just plain lucky individuals are chosen to compete. Oh, he knew he was powerful, but it was rather nice to be praised in such a way for it.

And then he feels it again. That annoying disruption in the Hellmouth's energy. His ritual ruined but he saw the opportunity in this.

Why become some, admittedly powerful, low level Old One when he could become something oh so much more.

A certified god!

A being that is not controlled by instinct and hunger but their own whimsical desires. To be a being of such power and not to be restrained by any rules was such a tempting thing he was willing to forgive the whole mess.

Besides who wouldn't want to meet a historical figure personified?

* * *

Willow shifted uncomfortably as Giles scrutinized the mysterious marking on the back of her hand. She honestly didn't think it was anything to be excited about, just an unusual rash on the back of her hand. That's all it was.

Or so she was trying to convince herself.

She studied enough magic at that point that she could understand it wasn't something mundane. Plus she could feel an odd pulsing feeling from the symbol.

And it really didn't help that Giles went deathly pale when he saw it.

"So what's wrong with her?" Willow suppressed a wince. She knew he was worried but did Xander have to put it so bluntly. She was freaking out enough as it was.

And the fact Giles didn't immediately say 'nothing' wasn't helping at all. He just stood up straighter and just started to polish his glasses looking completely unsure what to do.

"Giles? Is she going to be alright?" Her best friend's voice was stronger now, his tone begging for an answer.

Willow wished Oz was there. He could give Willow hugs while Xander pressed Giles for. Stupid band and their city gigs. He had boyfriend duties to attend to!

And where was Buffy! She could be dying and she went and ran away somewhere!

She knew she was being unfair but she would feel bad about it after Giles told her what was going on.

"I, I'm afraid, no, she is not."

Oh poop.

* * *

Unseen to the few occupants of the school the trophy case started to glow. Or more accurately, a single trophy started to glow as a strange symbol started in grave itself on it's base.

* * *

"Alright, Giles, spill. What's going on."

"The Heaven's bloody Feel." He answered in a tone that clearly indicated that he very much wanted, nay, needed a drink.

"That bloody part does not make feel all that good. The Heaven and Feel parts I liked, even the The part, but not so much the bloody." The boy rambled as tried to get control of his nerves.

Giles stared blankly at him before he started to curse and mutter about Americans, "No, it is called the Heaven's Feel. It's a divine event that occurs randomly ever sixty years or so."

"Okay, that doesn't sound too bad."

Giles just snorted, "And that's exactly why so many prefer to call it by its other name, The Holy Grail War."

"And all happy feelings go flying away."

"They bloody well should. These wars are brutal and destructive." Giles started to rub his face, trying to force away the exhaustion and the whole storm of emotions that were assaulting him. Taking in one last breath he started to explain what the Heaven's Feel was and what it entailed.

Sparing no detail he told them of how at least seven, sometime more, magi were chosen to do battle for one wish. A wish that could grant any desire. And to reach it the wish giving machine would allow them the assistance of a hero of the past.

A personification of a legend, of history. The closest thing to meeting a god most people would ever get.

And than those seven heroes would do battle with the full weight of their history behind them. Clashing till only one team was left, till only could achieve a wish impossible.

Giles could see his words were doing nothing to comfort the teens. Good, this wasn't a pleasant situation and they needed to know what was going to happen.

Willow seemed to almost faint as Giles explained what he knew in the best detail he could. But she was stronger than that now. She could handle it, she was a Slayerette, a Scooby. She could handle this. She could.

She hoped.

* * *

Rack completely ignored the sounds of ecstasy that circled the room as he studied his hand. Angling it above his head to get a real clear look at it.

He heard rumors of it but never actually thought it real or that it could happen to him.

The chance for true power, unlimited power, was just a fingertip's distance away.

A crooked smile appeared on his face.

He really couldn't wait to play.

* * *

"She's not doing this." Xander was in full big brother mode now and it was kind of impressive to watch. His shoulder's squared, head held high, his body actually blocking Willow from the older man's view as if it could stop something horrible from happening to her.

"She had no choice." Giles said in all seriousness and minus the stutter "If she does not participate than all she is a target. The Grail has chosen her, she has to fight or quite frankly, die."

Xander's muscles seemed to tense and then slacked. He looked completely lost, "What can we do?"

"Support her... and pray that she gets dealt the best possible card."

* * *

Ethan suppressed a laugh as he stared down at his hand, clearly enjoying the very idea of what was to come.

He had no wish but the sheer prospect of what chaos the war would bring made him giddy and excited.

Sunnydale was proving to be a more interesting town than he thought.

Mouth of Hell withstanding.

* * *

Xander and Giles started to carefully draw a pattern on the floor while Willow shifted uncomfortably nearby, her hand gripping on a stake.

They were making her magic circle for her, she tried to make it herself already but she kept on messing up due to nerves.

She wasn't suppose to the one fighting, that was Buffy's job. How was she suppose to do this? How could she fight a real honest to all WAR?

Giles and Xander said they'd be there for her but she was still nervous. That's why she was using the stake. Crafted by Xander, used by Buffy. If she was going to have a catalyst to summon her partner, the hero who would fight besides her, that stake would be it.

"Alright , I think that's it." Xander said as he stood, giving a brief glance to Giles and received a nod.

"You remember the chant correct?' Giles hinted as he waved towards the drying array of symbols.

Willow gave a shaky nod as she stepped forward and took a breath, building up all she was worth to cast this one spell right.

Her breath hitched as she let the first syllable escape but she managed to power through as she raised the stake to be recognized as the catalyst. Many of lines didn't make sense to her. Shut what? Fill what? And who was this great ancestor?

But one thing was undeniable, the pressure that increasingly filled the room with every word she spoke. A greater pressure than even the attempted soul curse, either time.

The power kept on building, right up to the last word. And with that last word the room was filled with a blinding light that forced the three of them to shield their eyes.

As the light faded they slowly opened their eye and allowed them to adjust to the now dim light. And at the sight before them they couldn't help but gasp at the figure before them wrapped in smoke and mist.

**(Option 1)**

She was beautiful, a petite little blonde covered head to toe in an elegant set chain mail. Her sea blue eyes gazed at each one of them before landing on Willow and gave her a smile that almost whispered that everything was going to be alright.

"I ask of you," French bells, that was the only way to describe her voice. Beautiful French Bells, "Are you my Master?"

And while Xander and Willow were staring at the hero in wonder and marvel Giles started to rapidly curse in his head. Not only did Willow summon a FRENCH hero, she summoned the most famous, or maybe it should be infamous, Slayer in history.

**(Option 2)**

They couldn't help, they were all slacked jawed at the sight of the figure before them. He was tall and wore a sharp olden styled suit, but what really caught their eye and gave away his identity in a second was his hat.

A almost comically tall top hat that rested above his thickly bearded face.

"Servant Hunter reporting ma'am."

Xander was the first one out of his daze, "Only you Willow. Only you. Out of all the heroes in history to pick from you summon a President."

She didn't even want to try and justify or deny that.

**AN**:

Not really as fleshed out as the other ideas you've seen but I hoped you enjoyed this embarrassingly short idea.

And in case you couldn't tell the two possible servants they are, the Servant Saber Joan of Arc and the Servant Hunter Abraham Lincoln. Both bring interesting back stories to the table, the noble but rebellious Slayer or the man who prevented the rise of a vampire empire.

Also if you have any suggestions on the other two magi, or any of the Servants, to enter please feel free to suggest.

Type Moon Buffy Crossover with a possible addition of Abraham Lincoln the Vampire Hunter. (I own none)

As always tell me what you think.


	9. What Is My Worth?

**This idea seems over done but rarely done right... or entertaining so I thought I'd take a shot at it. Though I probably botched the concept. **

**This is not a nice story. Bordering Dark and very well maybe with me being in denial. **

**Summary: **Sometimes when people that love you do something they think is for your own good they couldn't be more wrong**.**

**Story: What is my worth?**

* * *

As Buffy and Willow walked out of the library they both let out an uneasy breath. What they had done was emotionally wrecking but they had to do it, they knew they had to but it still wasn't an easy job. Willow was still on the verge of tears, as she had gallantly held them back throughout the conversation and Buffy was just letting her face of stone crack.

Buffy let out a sigh "That... was harder than I thought."

Willow nodded as she chewed her lip "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?"

"You saw what happened the other night." Buffy reassured "He got tossed around like a rag doll. Next time it could be worse."

"I know but he looked so hurt." Willow said as she remembered how much Xander protested, argues and begged them.

"It's for his own good."

"I know but," Willow trailed off as they walked to class "He just looked so sad."

"We have to be strong Willow, for him." Buffy said wrapping her arm around the girl for both their comforts.

But inside the library a lone boy sat on one of the plush chairs cradling his head between his arms. His head aching from the strain of withheld tears and a whirlwind of emotions.

A common belief in the supernatural community is that any human that hunts demons or vampires is on some level insane. Many would refute this by saying they were soldiers against the dark but even soldiers break.

In the case of Alexander Harris he was never stable. Many would say he was a doomed case because of his genetics and the abusive environment he grew up in, a real eye opener to that would be the fact he was born legally drunk.

They would say he had all the makings for developing as a psychopath or a sociopath. But two factors influenced his life early on that kept him on the borderline of stable.

Jesse McNally and Willow Rosenberg.

Two little life lines that he met in kindergarten and clung to like the life preservers that they were. He molded his beaten and blank self around them, accommodating to their needs like a Stockholm victim.

Bits and pieces of what he thought they wanted or needed became a part of his personality, his identity. His whole life as he perceived it was them.

They were his identity.

Eventually he would hesitantly reach out to the rest of the world, beyond Willow and Jesse but they would always remain his priority. Which was one of the main reasons why he was a constant visitor to the nurse and principle offices back in elementary school. It was put off to boys would be boys and that it was cute Xander wanted to protect his friends, even if he showed no remorse over hurting the other kids.

Growing up with his two life preservers had helped develop Xander into a somewhat decent human being. Taking cues from Jesse's favorite superhero's and cartoon characters to know how to act as well as listening to Willow about proper manners.

But all the positives of these friendships didn't outweigh the negative that was his home life. The blind and drunken neglect of his mother combined with the verbal and often physical abuse of his father made Xander needy for connections. He clung to anyone he could make and build and everything seemed fine.

That is, until Jesse died.

He broke a little inside that day, held only together by the rope that was Willow and the growing string that was Buffy Summers. It was why he was so open to the idea of killing Amy Madison when they thought she was the one trying to kill Buffy. If someone hurt his friends he would kill or maim them, no questions asked. And over the years more people were added to his support, keeping him together.

He had almost broke when Ms. Calendar and Kendra died. He didn't know them as well as the others but it hurt. He felt that he could have, should have, done more for them and then maybe they would have survived. Maybe that was why he tried to convince Willow against the spell and lied to Buffy when the budding witch decided to do the spell anyway.

Angel or Angelus, someone had to pay for the crimes.

This was probably also the reason why he kissed Willow back, because he didn't want to lose his oldest bond. But in the end he lost Cordelia and Willow had become estranged. He was desperately clinging to what he had left when Willow and Buffy sat him down.

At first it was a calm conversation involving them telling him they didn't want him involved with the Slaying anymore. Xander argued his case that he could still help but Buffy pointed out he just kept on getting hurt, not even bending when he said it was just a few cuts and bruises.

Next Willow tried to ease him out of the research part as well but again he argued and begged. But the girls held firm becoming more aggressive the more he plead. They didn't realize that they were tearing away the duck tape that was holding his fragile self together, nor did Buffy know that one word was like a hammer to his psyche.

She called him worthless.

Or more accurately next to worthless in a fight. But that one word was what struck him the hardest. He was always told by his father that he was a worthless piece of garbage, that he would never amount to anything. By his parents and teachers alike he was told this but he held a firm belief that his friends defined his worth.

But now they didn't want him. What was his worth now? Buffy and Willow said that the others felt the same way, that they didn't want him around anymore.

So the answer to his question was that he had no worth.

Shakily he stood with dry eyes and started to blankly walk out of the room. He didn't cry anymore and at this point in his life he wondered if he lost the ability.

He walked with little purpose through the hallway with his only real target being the doors. He heard someone call out one his usual monikers but chose to ignore it as he walked by, his mind swirling with thought centered mostly around how he didn't want to be there and how he could prove his worth.

A sudden feeling of glee hit him as he was halfway down the schools parking lot.

Those blue demons from the night before!

If he could find them and kill them all then they would have to keep him!

They'd have to.

Right?

* * *

Willy was absently cleaning his counter when the boy came in. The bar owner didn't usual watch the door but it was odd to have any customers coming in the front door at noon, most preferring the back or sewer entrance. So he felt a slight surprise when the door opened streaming light into the room and burning a few of his patrons.

When his eyes finally readjusted to the dim lighting he found himself flooded with even more surprise. At first he didn't really believe it, that group never came in during the daylight hours but here he was, the Slayer's little lap dog.

"Hey kid," Willy greeted "What you doing here so early?"

"Need information" He said quickly as he took a seat, Willy couldn't help but notice the wide and flickering gaze the kid had "Blue demons, all chicks, you know where they are?"

"Why do you need to know kid?" He asked a bit warily. The Slayer may not be around but that didn't mean she wasn't going to pop by later and tear up his bar, kill his customers and leave him with a few bruised ribs.

"They want to open the Hellmouth" He lied. He had no clue what they wanted. Giles would know but Giles didn't want him now either. Had to prove himself, earn his place, show his worth. "Want to stop them before they start."

Willy didn't know the kid that well, having only seen him a hand full of times with or without the Slayer to get information. He'd usually make a vague threat about how the information better be right and give Willy a twenty before moving on but now the kid seemed off. Like he was on a sugar high or something. Words clipped and rushed, eyes darting around, something wasn't right and he didn't want whatever it was in his bar.

"Heard a new group was staying at the old club on Elm, try there."

The kid nods and leaves with barely a rushed thanks.

* * *

Something many people did not or would not realize about Jessica Harris' drinking habits was that unlike her husband she took no joy in it. She drank to make the voices go away, to muffle them so she could think, so she could sleep. Half the time she couldn't even remember if she had a son or if she was married, and this was not because of the alcohol.

She had an undiagnosed case of Psychosis, most likely a form of Schizophrenia. And because of that fact Xander was left predisposed to the same condition.

To be predisposed to a condition is basically like a having a gun, then society loads the gun with the events of your life and then when one particularly bad day comes along it fires. Xander had his one bad day and little tiny whispers started to titter in his ear, making suggestions and demands. Enquiring where they were going and what was happening.

He'd answer, not caring, only having his goal in mind and the voices approved because unlike most voices they had templates to work off of.

Two blue prints in what to follow, how to act and how to sound. Because of where these templates came from some may think there was a magical cause to Xander's predicament but in truth it was all too human.

"Yes! Find them! Hunt them! Kill them! Prove you have the strength!" One voice growled while the calmer voice spoke a second later, ensuring Xander wouldn't jump the gun.

"Recon first kid. Then you need to plan and gather the proper equipment."

Xander nodded his head to the voices within "Plan then kill, got it." he then started to mumble this over and over again to himself as he walked down the street.

So wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't even notice when he bumped into a familiar leather clad classmate.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Xander ignored him as he continued down the street mumbling.

Being ignored didn't sit so well with the multiple time repeater as he stomped after his would be prey and slammed him into a nearby wall, causing any passerby's to scatter. Most in the town have long learned that it was much safer just not to interfere.

Xander didn't even waste time to stare at his attacker, he just raised his hand and jammed his thumb into his opponent's eye. He felt no remorse for the screams, just annoyance that he was delayed.

"ARGH!" The other man scream as his head instinctively soared back, dark cool blood pooling out of the now damaged socket. The attacker managed to have his remaining focus on his would be pray and found his jaw dropping in surprise "Harris?"

Xander didn't even recognize his name, he just pressed the attack listening to every bit of advice the two voices in his head gave him.

The shocked expression cost his opponent many head shots. And while he was still dazed Xander grabbed either side of his head and gave a mighty twist. After an almost haunting snap sound Xander simply walked away and left the limp body there.

A few steps away he started to mumble to himself again, accepting praise and reprimand from the voices as they started to go over their plan.

* * *

The Sisters of the Jhe didn't fully understand what happened. At first they were resting in their temporary home mentally preparing for the night to come when they were awakened by the smell of smoke. They quickly found themselves alert as they watched the windows and doors light up in a blaze. Fire quickly spread wherever searing their sisters who rested on the upper levels.

They screamed and screamed as the fire started to eat away at them and the ceiling quickly crumbled under the blaze. A few made it out of the one exit that had the least flames, not realizing someone would be waiting for them. A bucket of gas was spread over the crowd as they exited, lighting them aflame as well.

A single figure watched the whole thing, a flaming bucket in one hand and a sharpened bat in the other. He ignored his blistering finger's as he watched the fire grow and the screams die.

He just stood there with a blank look on his face ignoring the cackling in his head. Every once in a while he would go up to one of the demon's trying to escape and start to beat them mercilessly, completely ignoring the burning hands that grabbed at him.

Everything in that building would die. If they did not burn then they would be smashed. They would not survive the night.

That night he would prove himself.

* * *

Back at the local high school three teen girls and two older men, one by far the oldest, waited. All the tenseness in their muscles stared to relax and their frayed nerves started to sooth.

There was supposed to be an apocalypse that night but well, nothing was happening. The Hellmouth wasn't being pried open and there were no blue demonesses trying to kill them. It was just quiet.

Annoyingly so to be honest.

"G, are you sure it was tonight?" Faith asked as she started to slip out of battle mode and lean against a nearby wall.

"Yes," Giles confirmed as uneasy feeling filled his gut. "All signs pointed that the Sisterhood would try and awaken the Hellmouth tonight."

"But nothing's happening." The Bostonian almost whined causing Giles to pinch the bridge of his nose. That girl liked fighting just a little too much.

"I realize that." He said trying to contain himself. "And quite honestly it makes no sense, all signs pointed to tonight... I'll have to consult my books and make a few phone calls." As he went about that course of action the others sat in a strange silence for a few minutes, all unsure on what to do.

So in a attempt to pass the time Faith asked something that seemed rather obvious, "So where's X? Sick or something?" It was obvious she was only curious and didn't really care.

Angel's head lifted a bit showing that he too was curious.

"Um, we kinda've told him he could take the night off." Buffy answered after a few seconds not really wanting to go over or even remember the conversation they had earlier in the day.

Faith snorted, "And X just listened to that? Please, boy's crazy. He wouldn't miss this if he knew about it." The dark haired girl blinked as she watched the other two females share a quick glance and squirm a little, "You mean he doesn't know? What is he blind or deaf to not know what's going on tonight?"

Again they squirmed, clearly uncomfortable about something, "We had a little talk with him about Slaying and how dangerous it was."

Angel shook his head as he imagined how well the conversation went, "I can't imagine that went over well, people like Xander don't ever really stop." A brief flicker of that frightening superimposed image of Holtz over Xander came to his mind. A flicker of memory that scared Angelus off that faithful day at the hospital.

He had to suppress a shiver.

Buffy gave him an odd look, "What's that suppose to mean?"

Her ex, kinda current, boyfriend shrugged, "He hates vampires and he's waist deep in the supernatural as it is. He really couldn't stop even if he wanted to. He's helped kill too many demons to do that. Besides people who hate like him can't help but want to fight."

"Sure he could." Buffy said as if she was trying to convince somebody, and it wasn't Angel. "If he wasn't involved in any of this he could have a normal life."

"Yeah because hanging with a witch, a werewolf and a couple o' Slayers is so normal." Faith laughed, "He'd have to hate all of you before that's even possible."

Willow's eyes widened at the idea and she felt sick at it's implications. Their group spent nearly all their time doing 'weird' and if they wanted to keep him out of it it was pretty to close to having him out of their lives. They never really thought about it that way...

"Hey, Willow are you alright?" Buffy asked looking at her friend who was going through a cycle of pale and green colors.

"No, not really."

Faith spared the red head her own concerned glance, they may not be friends but they fought together enough to warrant some type of companionship. Besides, if the blue bitches were just running late they would need the witch's mojo and for her to be at the top of her game.

And when it seemed like the other girl wasn't going to keel over Faith let her curiosity take control of her mouth "So, exactly what'd ya say to X to make him not show up?"

Trying fight off the two highly inquisitive stares Buffy eventually failed when she made eye contact with Angel, "We may have said it was a... Kinda, sorta, a group decision."

Now that pissed Faith off, "Whoa, wait. You used my name? You put words in my mouth?" She had no problem saying what was on her mind but if people were making shit up about her, forcing an opinion she never said, someone was getting a broken nose.

Even Angel seemed a bit perturbed about it. No one liked having words being put in their mouth.

"It wasn't like that." Buffy defended even though it kind of was. "We... just wanted to keep him a bit safer."

"Then do it without stuffing words in my mouth." Faith gritted out, glaring openly at Buffy and Willow.

As the girls started to bicker Angel tensed. Something was coming, something that smelled of blood and smoke. He tried to go over his inner catalog of demons to see which ones fit the description, none of them good.

The girls quieted down as they saw him shift and glare at the door. They took it as their own cue to get back into their own positions and call out for Giles, he joined them a few seconds later.

For a few moments they thought that maybe it was nothing, that Angel sent out a false alarm because nothing came and the Slayers sensed nothing. But then they heard it, footsteps. Uneven, squeaky and painfully slow footsteps. Each one causing their muscles to coil all the more.

When they finally reached the door their front liners were all ready to charge into battle against... whatever it was. But as the doors swung open they all came to a stumbling halt and Willow let out the most horrified of noises.

There standing in front of them was Xander Harris but not like they have ever seen him. Bloody gashes and burns covered his arms and body, making Angel disturbingly aware of what he smelt earlier. His clothes singed and stained from the fires and a dark blue goo.

All and all he looked like he crap and that someone beat it out of him to cover him in it.

But they were soon forced to notice something else as he raised his hand.

A head.

A deformed, blue, female head. A head that looked very much like it belonged to the group of demons they were supposed to be fighting.

Xander for his part was just looking at all of the m curiously wondering what their problem was and wondering why they weren't praising him and saying he did a good job. So he tilted his own head to the side and fished for praise in an almost childlike tone "Did I do good?"

* * *

**AN**

**First off, I just wanna say that I have so many of these oneshots only partway done it's not even funny. **

**Next, tell me what you think honestly. I've noticed that most of my ideas give Xander a power up of some sort so I tried to make a non-powered version of him, unless you count going crazy a power.**

**Also, Buffy's group act too much like cops sometimes, they patrol, they investigate, they send in the SWAT team when things get crazy but they aren't really proactive, always reactive. If they just found where the big bad was staying burned the place to the ground they could save alot of time... then again that would't have been fun to watch.**


	10. Redemption Through Vengeance

**At first I was going to use only The Possessions for this idea but thought this was a much more entertaining route, since I like both characters but they hate each other.**

**Summary: **One wanted vengeance, the other redemption but they both wished to protect**. **

**Story: Redemption Through Vengeance**

* * *

Willow Rosenberg had the potential to become a powerful witch, a very powerful witch.

She had just begun her magical training and already she had reserves that would make most master practitioners green with envy. If only her first spell was not such a dark a curse.

Magic at the best of times was a temperamental tool and mistress and it was not the best of times. For one Willow's state of mind was not in the most pristine conditions for a number of reasons. One of the top reasons being that she failed. She failed to help her friend but completing what she viewed as spell for good that could have reunited Buffy with her star crossed love. But now the Blonde had to go and kill the thing that was wearing her loves face.

The budding witch could only hope that Xander could make it in time to stop her.

The spell may have knocked her into a coma last time but she knew she could get it right the second time. She knew she could help her friend.

And if she had used a spell that may have been true. But unfortunately she used a curse. The most violent and emotionally powered form of magic one could find and cast. And that wasn't even adding to the fact that she had such piss poor control of her magic she was more dropping a bomb in the general area instead of the usual sniper shots magi prefer to apply.

So not only was she just letting the magic land in the general vicinity of the Angel's mansion she was letting her emotions do the targeting. A curse often chooses the victim by following who the caster was the most agitated at, be it annoyed or hatred it followed that line of dislike straight to the source. Usually that was fine since the one that agitated the caster was often the one they wanted to harm.

Once again the unfortunate occurred. The one she was most agitated with was not Angelus, as surprising as that was, but one Xander Harris. There were a number of reasons for that, the first and foremost was the still receding ache of heart-break and betrayal. Not only wasn't her near lifelong crush not with her but with a hussy that did nothing but make his life miserable. And then there was the fact that he didn't believe she could or even should do the spell, sticking by his belief that Angeleus should be staked not ensouled.

Didn't he see how much the very idea was hurting Buffy? How every time that bastard who wore her loves face killed an innocent or taunted her she broke a little more inside?

Couldn't he see how hard it was for Buffy? Or was it that his jealousy of Angel having the Slayer's love too much for him? And if so he need to grow up.

And so after she let the bombshell of magic land above Angel's Mansion, with a little help from an ancient Gypsy Spirit, the soul torn from its final rest once again was forced to follow the line of aggression into a foreign body.

* * *

Xander stumbled forward as he carried Giles to safety. His body suddenly becoming heavier and unknown emotion swirled in his mind. Blind panic and fear spread through him but it felt... off. Like it wasn't his own. But as suddenly as those off putting emotions came that faded away. Buried underneath his own thoughts and emotions.

"Weird" he managed to mumble before realizing Giles was still hurt and started to rush to the hospital.

* * *

He felt it. A familiar vertigo.

The feeling of reaching a near absolute content and then falling. Falling only to be stuffed into a crowded jar.

He panicked as his fear seeped in. He remembered the last time he felt that vertigo. Those sick nauseating memories earned with pleasure by a monster who wore his face. The uncontrollable feeling of guilt and loss. He couldn't go through with that again. He couldn't handle that again.

But this time was different. When he entered the earthly vessel he wasn't washed over with bloodlust. He was feeling... worry? It wasn't even worry for himself, but worry for another.

For a split instant he could see something, a glimpse of the street moving below him and a bleeding man in his grip. At first he felt fear, did he get his soul back while Angeleus was feeding? No, that couldn't be it, he felt too weak, too tired and his arm was hurting something fierce.

As soon as the question "What's going on" crossed his mind he found himself being pushed down. The glimpse of sight he gained disappearing as he fell into a dark abyss. Drowning into a sea of words and forgotten emotions, swirling down the preverbal drain. Eventually dropping him into an unfamiliar terrain.

For a split moment he hazarded a chance to look around at his surroundings and found them disturbing enough to yell "Where the hell am I!?"

* * *

Xander had stayed at the hospital, not really knowing what else to do. Giles was hurt and he couldn't just leave the man there. The last time they did that to one of their own Buffy ended up killing an invisible demon.

Besides that Willow was there, which, at the moment, was uncomfortable and double edged. Sure he wanted to see her, to make sure she was alright but what if she asked about the spell? He didn't even know if it worked and to be honest he wasn't sure it would have. She was knocked into a coma last time and she jumped right back at the damn thing when she woke up.

Bits of guilt started to rise up from his belly but he instantly squashed any and all feelings of regret. The Soldier Influence, as he liked to call it, made him much firmer in his decisions. Making him realize, or at least think, that it was a tactical necessity. She had let that monster live for long enough, claiming friends and classmates as usual victims just to get a rise out of her. If she really loved Angel than she would have kill that, that, THING that was wearing his face.

To him letting Angeleus run around was an insult to Angel's memory, whether he liked the creeper or not.

Eventually his worry over ran his guilt and he made to stand up, only to have his world spin and force him back into the waiting room chair. "What the?" he asked out loud trying to remember how hard he hit his head at the library. Hard enough to be knocked out for a few hours and a concussion but should it still be messing with his head?

Xander tried to shake himself awake as darkness started to seep in from the corners of his vision. Again he struggled to stand only to fall back into the chair, his breaths uneven from the strain. What was happening to him?

"Sir? Excuse me sir?" someone called out as they made their way over to him. "Are you alright." He tried to respond but words wouldn't form and his blurry vision could barely make out the nurse asking him the question "Sir? Did you hurt your nose?"

Xander managed to shake his head and wonder why she asked such a silly question. He got his answer a moment later when he felt little droplets fall from his chin and strained his pants red.

The nurse called out for somebody after she asked him to stand, his legs barely wobbled. A moment later an orderly came over with a wheel chair and managed to move him over.

Again as his consciousness began to fade Xander had to wonder what was happening to him.

* * *

Buffy walked into the hospital knowing of little else where to go. Her mother had kicked her out of her house and all her friends were at the hospital in various stages of injury. And though she knew it was selfish she wanted someone to cry on.

Yes she knew they were all hurting in their own way from Angeleus but... she still loved the man that wore that face. And to see it contort in pain as she pushed the Holy blade through his chest and kick him into hell hurt her more than she ever thought it would. She knew what Angeleus was, a mockery of Angel but she couldn't help it. If Angel had been a human when she fell in love with him than maybe she could have done it sooner but no she fell in love with a vampire. And that translated to her making a number of exceptions and excuses in her mind to be with him.

Which made it all the harder to stake him when she had the chance.

Her only condolence was that she was finally able to do it, ending that monster permanently. If only she didn't wait so long.

Regret and sorrow flooded through her as she walked passed reception and towards Willow's room, totally ignoring the familiar looking patient being pushed passed her.

* * *

Angel walked along the grounds with a big question still hanging over his head. Where was he?

Because it sure wasn't Heaven and if it was Hell than the good book painted it wrong. Because he didn't see any hellfire or tortured souls. This place looked more like an old playground that somebody tried renovating into a graveyard, or vice versa. Old rusted slides and jungle gyms stood next to over grown tombstones. In all honesty it creepy enough to make him prefer the fire.

And even the tombstones were odd. Many didn't even have name just things like "The one I couldn't save" or "That poor little girl". There were similar phrasing on most and a few sporadic names every now and then but Angel still had no clue where he was.

He walked along a roughly beaten path and eventually found himself at a memorial of sorts that held three statued tomb stones. Two of which looked very familiar.

Jesse McNally, A Brother that should have been saved.

Jenny Calendar, A friend that shouldn't have been left behind.

Kendra, A girl who needed a friend and we weren't there for her.

Emotions whirled through Angel as the names sunk in. Jenny and Kendra were dead? What happened? What was going on?

An almost forgotten sensation started to pound against his chest. Shocked out of his former stupor he placed a hand over what seemed to be his live beating heart. So shocked by the number of events he barely registered a voice growling out "Angeleus!"

Angel was forced to turn around as a fist slammed into the back of his skull. Years of experience had kept him on his feet but he stumbled more than he liked. Where ever he was he was practically human there and had little of the strength he was used to. Turning his head the former vampire saw a familiar angered face.

"Harris?" No, it looked like him, it looked a lot like him but different. First off his hair wasn't brown, well there was brown but it was peppered like spots on his new unnaturally tan colored hair. And his clothes weren't his usual style. Gone were his brightly colored shirts and beat up jeans, instead he wore what appeared to be a full body camo suit and military boots.

Hell the only thing he could say that belonged to Harris was the face and even that was a mutation of how it usually was. No smile, no fear covered by cocky jokes, just stern feral anger.

"I don't know how you got here but you will regret it" The Harris look alike said, eyes flaring something inhuman as it eased into a militarized combat stance.

The boy didn't say more as he charge setting the ex-vampire off balance. Angel may not have had his super strength any more but he had years of fighting experience before and after he became a vampire. But he was off balance, unused to fighting without his enhanced senses or reflexes. Sure the super strength would be nice but without his superior senses it was like he was fighting deaf with one eye.

His olden styled boxing guard shattered by professional work, breaking the arm in a strange lock and pushing Angel off his balance. Just more proof that whoever he was facing wasn't Xander. this wasn't how the kid fought. Xander was clumsy and spouted corny jokes for a distraction. This guy fought simply, effectively, and brutally. Especially brutally, it was almost savage how he attacked.

"What's wrong Angeleus? Feeling sick?" The Not Harris asked mockingly as he started to circle around "Buffy must've taken more out of you then I thought."

Angel tried not to wince when he moved his arm "I'm not Angeleus." He spat as he tried to turn and face his offender, only to get a knee to the gut.

"Yeah" He snorted "Like I'm going to believe that crock. I knew Buffy should have staked your ass last year when you were still just a pussy."

And that definitely wasn't how Harris spoke. Okay, a little but even he wasn't that crass.

This was more... concentrated. Unfiltered.

It was a sad day when Angel missed any version of Xander Harris.

"If I was Angeleus don't you think I would have killed you by now?" He pointed out "Or that maybe I would have shown my 'game face'"

The Not-Harris paused to think before shrugging "Brat wasn't feeling so well a little while ago so I'm going off on a limb and say we're dead and you're Deadboy's soul" Angel let out a sigh of relief but was quickly sent staggering back by another punch "Which means I'm just beating up a pedophile now."

* * *

When Buffy entered the hospital room she expected condolences and worried questions. Hell she even expected congratulations from Xander if he was there. But he wasn't and all she got was an excited Willow asking if it worked.

"Did what work?" The Slayer asked a bit stunned.

"The spell" She exclaimed looking tired and frazzled "Did the spell work?"

Buffy titled her head to the side, acting in a state of calm she wasn't really feeling. "What spell?"

"You know, the soul spell!" She clarified "I think it worked this time... No, I know it worked. I could feel... something flow through me."

"We can vouch for that" Oz said from his corner while Cordelia only managed a, "It was Creepy"

Understanding that her friend tried the spell one more time for her the girl shook her head "No. He was Angeleus till the end."

"B-but" The redhead stuttered "It worked! I felt it!"

Buffy felt a pang of worry for a moment that maybe, just maybe she sent Angel to hell. But then she remembered those hateful golden eyes and fanged lips that cursed her as he fell into hell. "It didn't work Will"

Willow seemed aghast by this "It worked! I know it did!"

"It wasn't him Willow!" Buffy finally snapped, her shoulder's shaking from suppressed emotions. "Angel wouldn't try to kill me. Angel wouldn't hurt me. Angel wouldn't call me those, things" She spat out the last word in pure distaste at Angeleus' vulgar taunts. "You know what his last words were to me? Not "I love you" or "Why?" but "You bitch". So yeah Willow I'm pretty sure it wasn't him!"

Buffy gave a sniffle as she tried to restrain her tears. Maybe coming to the hospital was a bad idea after all.

There were no comforts here, just more heart ache.

She moved to leave but a gentle hand from Oz stopped her. He said something to excuse Willow for her unthoughtful words and asked her to stay. She did, taking a chair a way from a now remorseful red head. She tried to restrain it but eventually her silent sobs come along with salty tears.

* * *

Consciousness slid slowly back to Xander. Filling him with an odd anticipation, like going up the hill of a rollercoaster.

And just like a rollercoaster that slow paced instantly disappeared as he seemingly slammed back into his body, back into place. He felt himself... shift where he stood, his feet unconsciously realigning to suit his weight and posture. It took only a moment for him to realize he had awakened standing up.

His eyes didn't even adjust to the light, he just appeared in the strange graveyard like he had been there for a few minutes. "Uh, what just happened?"

His voice rang through the grounds like a giant bell catching the other two occupants attention. One standing, the other bleeding in its grips.

"Tch. You're here? How annoying." The standing figure said as he dropped bloodied figure and started to walk away "Guess we're alive though. That's good." Whoever it was walked weird, like he was unwillingly restraining himself and was just waiting for the word 'GO' to unleash himself.

Though Xander ignored that as he rushed over to the victim. A habit now he guessed. Buffy would take care of the aggressor while he and Willow checked on the would be snack. "Hey, you alright?"

"Xander?"

Ah, fuck "Angeleus!"

The man on the ground groaned out "Not again."

* * *

The boy lurched forward suddenly causing one of the nurses to yelp and forcing two of the orderlies to wrestle him back down.

"Geez, kid's stronger than he looks" One grumbled out before taking a whap to the face.

"Someone sedate him already!"

* * *

Contrary to popular belief most people in Sunnydale knew the truth of the world on some level. They knew that there was something wrong with their little city after dark, they could feel the hungry eyes on them as they passed the shadows.

Why any of them stayed in Sunnydale none of them really knew. Maybe it was because that terrifying little city was their home? And maybe because they didn't want to be pushed away by something they couldn't explain?

Or maybe, there was something dark about more than one of the 'normal' populace.

Or they could all just be fools. Again nobody really knew.

But one thing was for sure, the medical staff of every hospital, clinic, doctor's office in Sunnydale knew something was up. Either through the odd injuries some of their patients come in with or by the fact that their blood banks are routinely broken into.

And Sunnydale General knew a bit more than any of them. After all they patched up the ones dealing with the 'problems' the most.

And every single member of the staff was proud of it. Sure they were ashamed that a bunch of kids and a librarian were protecting them but they couldn't argue with results

The death toll has nearly halved in the recent year.

So of course when news that at least two of their protectors were hospitalized members of the staff were just lining up to help.

And when a third one fell ill, in their own waiting room no less, the staff started to get worried. Exactly what did they face this time that left them in such a state?

What terrifying thing could they have stopped this time?

Did it really matter? After all they were all still alive and it wasn't their job to worry about it, it was their job to patch them up after.

And keeping them informed was just another part of the job. Or so the nervous nurse told herself as she entered the room to do just that.

"Um, excuse me?" Four heads shot up to look at her, doing nothing for her nerves "You four are acquainted with Alexander Harris correct?"

Anyone who was only giving her half an ear stopped and listened intently and started demanding answers. "Um, uh," She didn't know how to react. The people who fought demons and other such darkness were yelling at her. It was a little scary "He was found in the waiting room with a bleeding nose and losing consciousness. He was rushed to examined by one of the doctors when he started to convulse."

"What's wrong with him?" Willow demanded, straining to get out of the bed.

"Um, we aren't too sure. We want to get MRI or Cat scan to see if it's a concision gone very wrong but he won't stop moving."

"Where is he."

The nurse eyed the blonde girl wearily "We placed him in 205, the room next to Mr. Giles." Her eyes darted to the side "For convince sake."

Cordelia was the first to really move, exiting out the room shortly after Buffy's Slayer speed rush. Willow was only slowed down by the need for Oz's support.

* * *

This Xander he was familiar with. Crack a few weak jokes, go in for a haymaker punch, grapple for those moments when he couldn't get a hit in.

Basically the suicidal usual he would use on demons and vampires that worked at best two-thirds of the time. Making him multiple times easier to deal with than the other Xander.

Easier being Angel landed a few hits and get some distance, even if he wasn't injured he could tell he wouldn't win. Xander's defense was always willing to accept more punishment and every hit that he landed was hard enough for a vampire to at least feel.

Knowing this hurt Angel's ego a bit, as he had always viewed himself as Xander's better.

"Xa-" Pow, right to the chest. Why were all his hits aimed there? ... Oh, right, vampires, hearts, "Xander! Wait! I'm not Angeleus!"

"Yeah right."

God, he wished he didn't have to breathe again "If I was Angeleus do you really think you would be winning!?"

Just like with the other Xander that stopped him flat, unlike the other Xander he stopped at one punch after realizing the truth. "Still don't like you."

"Noted." God, he forgot how much it hurt to be human.

"So where are we?"

"Not a clue." Angel said after a pained breath "I just woke up here and started to look around." And got his ass kicked, twice. Though he wasn't going to really count the second one, two fights in a row after all. No one could blame him.

"Well, there is someone else here, so find and ask him?"

Angel hid his flinch well and managed a nod. He didn't like it but it was their only option.

* * *

Both orderlies in the room slacked in relief when Xander did the same. His limbs no longer flailing around and slamming into everything.

With a breath and a sore cheek one of the orderlies came up with a plan of action, "Alright. You get the doctor, tell him Harris has calmed down and I'll keep an eye on him... restrain him too" After getting a nod from his colleague the impromptu leader started to pull the overly used Sunnydale restraints out from their place.

As he started to strap the sleeping boy down the door burst open, which was the first hint it wasn't a doctor. The second being the girl who charged in couldn't be more than five foot or older than seventeen.

She took one look at the scene, pinned him with a glare, and was in front of him as soon as he ended a blink. "What are you doing." It was a demand for an answer not a question, accompanied by a little hand nearly crushing his larger one mid task.

"Strapping him down in case of more spasms." He said trying to be professional and keep himself from flinching in pain. But when there was just a smidgen more pressure he quickly added more information "So he doesn't hurt himself."

"Buffy would you just chill and let the guy do his job?" Cordelia said as she barley took the scene, more focused on getting to her sorta boyfriend's side. Giving his hand a firm squeeze as she took a seat near the bed.

Buffy gave him a glare but let go to let him do his job.

Oz and Willow entered the room almost simultaneously as when the orderly finished the last restraint. "What's wrong? Why is Xander being tied up?"

The hospital worker for his own safety quickly repeated what he told the blonde. His hand was still sore.

"Okay, but what's WRONG with him?"

He shrugged "No clue. The doctor should be here soon to find out though." He really wanted out of the room, he hated being on night shift.

He took one last cautious look at the blonde before he left, which got him a brief glare, and made him wish all the more for morning only shifts.

* * *

As Angel walked through the twisted playground he started to feel better. Wounds not aching as much, scrapes stopped bleeding, bruises not even getting the chance to turn blue. He was grateful for it but it made him wonder all the more, was he now human or something else?

The two forced upon companions talked to break the seemingly ever-present silence that seemed to blanket the landscape. They talked about a few speculation of where they were and how they got there. Xander spouted at least a dozen different comic book theories and at this point Angel was willing to accept he was in some creepy mirror world.

Eventually the silence was broken by something other than their voices. A click of steel against flint, the sound of embers burning and deep inhale.

The two quickly followed the sound to the source and found their target just as let out a large exhale of smoke. Xander was struck stupid as he stared at a near mirror image of himself sitting on top of a vine covered and rusting jungle gym. He just sitting there as peaceful as you please looking at the perpetual twilight of wherever they were smoking a cigarette.

He barely gave them a glance as they entered his area, he just tsked went back to his sky watching.

The two men shared a rare glance wondering how to approach the situation. Eventually Xander decided to step up and get the man's attention, which Angel was grateful for. The guy did try to beat him to death after all.

"Uh, excuse me? Sir?"

The man's eyes lulled to look at Xander, "What?"

"Uh, we were kind of wondering, hoping, that you could tell us where we are?"

The man snorted, "If you haven't figure that out already you're dumber than I thought."

Xander let out a hearty "Hey!" while Angel wondered if that insult included him.

Taking another puff the Xander clone looked at them like he was debating their worth, "No clue at all? Really? Does a single thought even go through your mind?"

While Angel was glad to see he wasn't the only one who hated this version of Harris he interrupted Xander's next comment, "Look, we just want to know where we are and how we got here, and frankly you're our best bet."

The man was quite for a moment, just enjoying his cigarette as he stared down at them. Frankly it was annoying the hell out of them.

Finally when he did speak he pointed at Angel with the glowing tobacco, "Don't know how YOU got here but the kid could always come here... Technically, I guess he always here but that is some semantic bullshit I don't want to cover."

"Uh... What?"

Sighing the man started to tap his temple repeatedly, drawing out each word like he was talking to a particularly dumb dog, "We're, in, your, head."

Xander stared dumbly at him for a few seconds with Angel right behind him. Eventually the American teen managed another, "What?"

The apparent resident of Xander's mind mumbled, "Dumbass." and flicked the still burning cigarette at the boy and jumped down. While Xander started to rapidly pat himself down as if it had set him on fire the man repeated the statement, "I said we're in your head. How you two got here I don't know but I want the pedophile gone."

Xander winced as even he wouldn't go so far as to say that... to Angel's or Buffy's face. Or even out loud actually. Seemed like too much of a cheap shot.

Angel for his part just wondered why the other Harris kept on calling him that. In his day Buffy should have already been married off, he knew times have changed but not by that much, right?

"I don't even know how we got here much less kick someone out!" Xander yelled in exasperation before narrowing his eyes, "And if we're in my head who are you?"

The man snorted, "Isn't it obvious or are you just too dumb to tell?"

"Again with the put downs, just answer the question already."

The man sighed and mumbled something before he started to tick off a few fingers, "Hint one, I'm wearing some random ass military uniform. Hint two, I have spotted hair and fucking pointed teeth. Hint three, I'm in your head. Who am I?"

"Uh."

"Gah!" The man started to ruffle his hair in exasperation, "God! How can someone as stupid as you be Alpha!?"

"Hey!" Seriously this guy loved to hurt Xander's ego.

The man stood up completely straight and jabbed his finger painfully into Xander's chest, "I am the Influence of what the Hyena and Soldier did to you. I'm what's left of the things that fucked with your head."

At that Xander took a few steps away from the angered man.

He could see the traits of both of them in the man now. Animalistic and focused, a true hunter, a true killer.

And at two points in time stole his freedom from him at the deepest level.

Angel noticed the sudden fear in Harris and quickly decided that it wasn't a good sign.

"Oh, would you two relax. The kid's the Alpha, I have to listen to what he says," The snarl on his face quickly turned into a feral grin, "For now."

"And that does nothing to make me feel better."

The Influence just shrugged, as if, and he probably didn't, care. "Not my problem. My problem is how to get the creeper out of here. I can barely take your company much less his." He said as he nudged his head towards Angel.

Angel scowled at the... he could only guess if man still applied but he scowled at him none the less. The insults were getting old. "And how do we do that?" He asked ignoring the insult for since he wanted to get out of there as much as the Influence seemed to want him gone.

He received another shrug and sneer, "Not sure. Best guess? Wake him up."

"And how do we do that? I don't see a Starbucks around here." Xander managed to quip before receiving a rather hard hit to the back of the head.

As he lost consciousness and started to feel all the light as he got closer to the ground he heard a mildly surprised voice say "Huh, that worked?"

* * *

The room jerked in surprise as Xander's body rose with a startled yelp. The half asleep group flailing to keep themselves from falling to the ground, or in one case punching what surprised her.

"Xander!" Willow half cheered as she reoriented herself and dove for him.

Xander for his part just blinked and grunted as she slammed him against the bed in a hug. He looked around the room and linked some more as memories and facts returned to him.

Going to the mansion, lying to Buffy about the spell, taking Giles to the hospital, being unable to get up from his chair, finding Angel and the Influence guy in his head.

Dots started to connect in his head as he sorted through the information and he didn't like where it led.

Willow said she was going to try the spell again and he suddenly has Angel in his head.

A guy he hated was in his head because his best friend screwed up, could anyone blame him for being angry?

And normally few probably would but at the moment Xander was having a rather uncommon problem. For you see when a person has a strong enough soul, and very many times this translates to a powerful magi, they can exert their power upon the world.

And while Xander's soul was in the above average range he alone wasn't strong enough to cause such an effect. But if in addition to his own he had an over two century old soul within him that is a completely different story.

The 'weight' of his soul could be felt in the room with his rising anger, momentarily choking the occupants as Xander glared down at his best friend, "Get him out of my head!"

A green aura started to flicker and wisp around him before it all came to screeching halt as Buffy's fist made contact with his forehead.

Xander's groggy eyes held an angered defiance till the last second before he succumbed to the concussed knock out.

As his head fell back into the pillow all of them had a similar thought in mind but only one voiced it.

"What the hell was that?" They were pretty sure it was Cordelia.

* * *

**AN:**

**Okay, I cut this one short because honestly it was dragging on and chaining me to it instead of letting me write for my other stories. So I won't blame you guys if you didn't notice the crossover.**

**The crossover for this story is Bleach, which I don't own, with Angel acting as Xander's Zanpaktou (A sword empowered by a spirit/soul). The story itself would go over both Xander and Angel's reasons for fighting the supernatural, besides Buffy, hence the title and how to use the strength of souls, as you got a glimpse of, while trying to work together.**

**The Influence that you saw was my original idea for the sword but I figured it might be more interesting to have him act as the Hollow (instinct that will try to take over).**

**So as always, tell me what you think.**

**p.s.: I'm thinking of making some mini sequels/continuations of some of these shots to bleed off some excess. Any request?**


	11. No Limitations

**Another alternate take on Xander being pushed out of the group. If It's Xander-Stu tell me because I honestly hate that shit. I try to give power ups through work or hardship. Though, this one's not so much a power up.**

**Summary**: There is a reason why Giles let Xander and Willow stay in the group.

**Story: Hunting With No Limitations**

* * *

Rupert Giles took off his glasses and slowly started to massage his eyes. He couldn't believe it. After all the work he put in to stop it from happening those two dunder heads excusing themselves for teenage girls went and mucked it all up. He could only hope to salvage the situation as best as he could.

But still he couldn't believe it so he asked again, "Tell me again what you did."

Buffy and Willow briefly shared a look wondering why Giles seemed so upset. They would have thought he would have liked their idea, after all he was complaining just yesterday about how he had to put up with Xander's insisting chatter.

"We told Xander that he should stay out of Slaying." Buffy said slowly, as if to child. This was the third time he had her explain and it was getting irritating. "Because he kept on jumping and getting hurt."

"And that he shouldn't come to as many research parties" Willow added helpfully "Because, you know, he kind of sleeps through them."

Giles tried to count to ten to calm himself but only made it to four before his temper flared, "Do you have any idea what you've done?" He snapped out making both girls flinch.

Buffy quickly steeled herself and glared back at the man, "We're keeping him out of danger! And you even said it yourself, he gets in the way!"

It hurt her a little to say that about her friend but it was true. Always cracking jokes while they were researching distracting them from their task and jumping into the fray like he had no cares in the world, or at least for his life.

Something had to be done.

"And I would rather have him there so I could keep my damn eyes on him!" He snapped back in a harsher tone, his accent bleeding way for another rougher one "Why in the bleedin' hell do you think I even allowed those two to help you?"

Again both girls flinched back both from his tone and use of language. Out of the two of them only Buffy was able to strangle out a "What?".

Giles took a breath in another feeble and near useless attempt to calm himself "Why do you think I allowed Xander and Willow to even help you when they found out about you being the Slayer instead of turning them away?" he asked rhetorically and cut Buffy off before she could answer, "It was so I could keep an eye on them."

They blinked and Willow asked "Why would you keep an eye on us?"

He answered instantly, as he was already well on his way to a rant, "Because not only did you just find out about the supernatural but suffered a crushing loss soon after. All the makings for an independent hunter, something we certainly don't need on the Hellmouth. No restraint those people. None at all. Always too wrapped up in grief they don't realize what they are doing and get themselves or somebody else killed" There was a pause for a heartbeat as those words sunk in "So against my better judgment I let you two stay, learn what you could while keeping you relatively safe. I may have found it infuriating at time but at least I knew you were safe for now and hoped eventually you'd grow out of it."

He let out a sigh and stared off into the distance, almost totally ignoring the girls now "But you didn't. You two stayed stead fast in your beliefs that you could help. Doing everything you could to get better so you could help." he turned slightly towards Willow, "You know, Xander asked to learn magic first. After we dealt with Amy's mother he came to me and asked if he could do that too."

"But Xander can't do magic!" Willow blurted out, remembering his disastrous attempt at a love spell.

"Yes, we soon found he had nearly no aptitude for the subject." Giles said, mildly wondering if he should point out it wasn't Xander who cast the spell she was probably thinking of, "He was rather frustrated about that. Probably why he dived into the other lessons so eagerly." That or he was an average teenage boy.

"Other lessons?" Buffy queried

Giles a deadpanned look "Surely you didn't think he learned how to maintain and use weapons by himself did you?" Buffy opened her mouth and then wisely closed it. "Of course not." he said almost patronizingly before letting out a sigh "I had hoped though, over time, that maybe he could let go of some of that anger he felt. But he hasn't. It's been two years and he's still angry, he still hates." He paused for a moment in thought "In fact it may have only gotten worse over the years. "Kicking him out" may have been the worst possible thing to do"

Buffy took a gulp of air and asked, "Why?"

"Because now he doesn't have anyone stopping him from doing something incredibly stupid."

* * *

_War Diary entry 1_

_War Diary. It's funny that I call it that._

_All Punisher-y. It sounds cool but the truth of the name sweeps over me quick._

_This is a diary of my war, an actual WAR. This is where I will write down every little detail of my battles and learn from them. Improve upon them._

_And when I die, and I know it'll come soon, I hope someone else will find this and take up the fight. Those blood sucking bastards have been a plague upon this world for far too long. We need to start culling their numbers. It's them or us. It's always been them or us. Why couldn't I see it till now?_

_It was a war for survival on both sides. We humans wishing to keep our lives and vampires not wanting to starve to death. I feel no sympathy for them but I understand. I understand the need to eat but they chose the wrong prey._

_Humans have a bite to them and I'm not afraid to show it._

_And now, I didn't have to wait. Daylight was no longer safe for them. No more Willow and Giles to drag me to School like some toddler. Just me, some vampires and a humidifier._

_-0-0-_

_War Diary entry 2_

_Humidifying the air with Holy Water is somewhat effective but best used only to soften up the enemy._

_Makes them get a kind of a cold. Burning rash, stinging eyes, harsh coughs when they take breaths in to talk or scream. Pretty decent pickings after that._

_Don't see why Giles said it was a bad idea before. Shit worked out great._

* * *

Almost to prove him wrong Willow and Buffy immediately started a search for their male friend. But they failed to find him in any of his classes that day.

So they assumed, or hoped, that he was home sick. But when they went to his house and dealt with a hung over Mrs. Harris they found that no, he was not there and his own mother barely cared.

After that failing they checked every single one of his usual hang outs hoping to find even a hint of him. Only one place saw him within the last day, a gas station/convince store, and that was only for a minute to but gas and a few other supplies.

They couldn't help but ask a few questions to themselves and each other as they walked back to the library.

Where was their friend? What was he doing? And what did he need kitty litter and orange juice for?

* * *

_War Diary Entry 7_

_I should have known that napalm recipe in that Fight Club book was a joke. Kitty litter and orange concentrate my ass. Luckily the gasoline still burned well enough and the leeches are about a thousand times more flammable than a human._

_Also, another thing that should have been obvious, napalm (or it's cheap ass imitation)does not fire well from a water gun. Got clipped today from that mistake, hid in the window before it could take a second strike at me._

_Seriously, day light hunting so much easier._

_Though the wound was decently deep._

_Alright, for all you future hunters reading this I'm going to teach you a field med trick this one guy taught me last Halloween._

* * *

_._

**AN: **

**Agh! Ideas stop coming! Let me write in peace!**

**Annoyance aside the idea on this shot is kind of a mesh between Punisher with the war journals, Supernatural in how he deals with the enemy, and Where's Waldo/Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego vibe because most of the story taking place form the point of view of the searching/worrying Scoobies and Xander's journal.**

**And sorry that it wasn't that long of a shot but I figured it got the idea across.**

**As always tell me what you think and peace.**


	12. Daddy?

**There may or may not be a slight obsession with this series.**

**Also is it just me or do most of my ideas lean towards dark and possibly morbid?**

**Summary:** It is a horrible thing really. To take a man and turn him into a slave. Or so the doctor's mused as they stated the procedure on one Alexander Harris.

**Title: Daddy?**

* * *

Being a Cali boy Xander held a certain appreciation for the ocean. It was a bit odd though, seeing the sun rise from it instead of setting but damn was it amazing.

Almost worth the whole drive there by itself.

His road trip was becoming more fruitful and enjoyable than he ever thought. Traveling state by state, enjoying the sights, learning new things and every once in a while he killed a demon, a vampire, which in the process saved somebody.

He didn't always get a thank you but when he did it made every bruise, scrape and near death experience worth it. It made the road trip worth it, it made his life worth it.

He was really finding and coming into himself on this trip. He was so glad he had a mechanic look over his car before he left town. God only knows how far he could have gone before the car blew up and left him on the side of the road.

Xander was pretty sure that he was growing up on this trip. A pretty scary thought when all things are considered.

So he sat there, on a little far away part of the beach where he was pretty sure he was trespassing on, looking out at the rising sun. He sat there thinking about who he was and what he wanted to do with his life.

Go back to Sunnydale? Go back to a home where he was constantly fighting something, be it his parents, his friends or monsters that belonged in a horror movie?

Or go somewhere else? Set up shop in some city, get a job, live his life.

He honestly didn't know, both had their pros and cons but he just didn't know. He missed his friends and he loved making a difference but, he just didn't know.

The sound of a young girl's protest slammed him out of his thoughts. His body jerked in a confused motion. In Sunnydale he would have gone running to the screams that came so close to the night but as he learned on his road trip some kids just wanted attention and scream.

Didn't stop him from taking a look though, he didn't want to chance it after all.

Concealing his tire iron in his jacket sleeve he hoped out of his car and made his way towards the scuffling sounds.

"No, no, no! Mommy! Daddy! Help!" The young voice rang out and Xander's steps hastened. A little girl screaming something like that couldn't be good.

Racing across the sand Xander saw them at the border of the water, a little brown haired girl being forcibly dragged beyond the shores by a... thing.

At first glance Xander would have thought it was somebody in an old school diving suit, made out of leather and metal but that was only from a brief glance. At a glance that lasted for more than a second one could see the monstrous yellow glow flowing out of the metal and glass helmet.

Xander didn't know WHAT that was, even if he was guessing sea ghost haunting old equipment, but he knew he had to stop it.

With a yell and a sprint Xander was upon the creature in an instant, bring down his tire iron in a jarring THUD. His hands felt numb as his tire iron bent and rebounded off the creatures metal casing, his attack doing little more than change the color of the light from yellow to red.

"That doesn't look good." And with that he was backhanded by the creature sending him spiraling into the sand.

Xander let out a gasping curse as he hit the ground. This thing, whatever it was, gave the one of most painful blow of Xander's life and to someone of his experience that was saying something. Definitely stronger than any fledgling and maybe some master vampires. And those metal gloves? Damn, he didn't even want to think how messed up his side was.

But he had to put that aside, put all that pain aside. There was a little girl screaming her pretty little head off, she needed his help.

"Gkk." Was the sound that escaped his lips as he made to stand, tire iron in hand. He wished it was something cooler like 'Not so fast' or 'Where do you think you're going' but damn if his ribs didn't feel like powder.

The thing roared again and tackled Xander sending him spiraling away once again. Xander groaned as darkness started to ebb its way into his eyes.

"Mister! Mister! Please get up! Please!"

'I'm coming little girl, just, just give me a sec.' Xander thought to himself as he tried to push himself off the ground. He hack and coughed from exertion but he finally able to stand but at the first step he fell to his knee.

Two hits and he was almost out? God he was pathetic. No wonder the others didn't want him cover their back.

The creature started to lumber over to him, the glow seeping through its helmet faded from red to green as it tilted its head as if it was examining him.

Xander raised his weapon and took a feeble swing. If the creature was actually where his wobbly and fading vision was there would have been at least at slight ping sound.

The thing ignored his feeble swiped and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, dragging him over to where the little girl was whimpering. A moment later Xander could make out her frightened form stumbling it the creature's hold from the corner of his eye.

What did it want? To eat them? Deciding that Xander would be a better main course and the little girl getting bumped to desert?

He didn't know, and he didn't care. All he could focus on was trying to stay awake.

Being dragged into the cold water helped to wake him up but it did nothing to ensure his survival odds.

As they went further and further into the water Xander started to glub on water and form the faint sound of splashing the little girl was having similar problems.

Xander swore he could briefly hear the sound of a static filled voice echoing inside the thing's helmet but then again he could have been delusional from the pain. A second after Xander though he heard the echo he found himself being hoisted onto the thing's shoulder.

The little girl squealed in fright as she was hoisted onto the shoulder opposite of him.

The thing lumbered a few more yards before coming to a stop, which for some reason resulted in a loud hissing sound. Xander didn't know what it was but he really hoped it wasn't a giant pet snake.

In fact the thought stuck with him so well he let out a frightened squawk as he was tossed into what seemed to be a round padded room. The girl was tossed in after him and the lumbering creature crawled through the door.

As the door to the "room" closed and hissed shut the girl scampered away from the thing and almost plastered herself into Xander's side. Xander didn't really mind. It meant she was closer to protect, too bad he dropped his tire iron on the beach.

There was a series of bubbling sounds followed by the feeling that they were moving and a sense vaguely like they were being smothered.

"I'm scared." the girl muttered as she pressed herself closer to her would be savior.

Xander managed to pat her head. It was the only thing he could really do right now. Just pat her head and hope it was reassuring enough for whatever this thing planned.

* * *

A couple of hours past dawn a morning jogger called the police. She had barely made it down the street when she stopped and noticed her neighbor's door was open. Not just opened but smashed in.

She had tentatively entered the house, calling out for her neighbor's but would get no response. As she ventured further into the home she saw large dent like marks on the ground, like someone took a hammer and slammed every other step. And the walls were a mess, paint scrapped off from something being dragged along and the usual decoration smashed along the ground.

She would start to wonder if she should have called the police first, and she would be proven right when she found the dead body of the man of the house. She would run across the street back to her home and finally make the needed call.

The police would arrive a short time later and quickly secure the sense, CSI and detectives following shortly after.

The detectives would quickly note that there should be three occupants to the home, not just the two corpses. There should be a little girl but she was missing, nowhere to be found. That simple fact lead them to quickly peg the scene not only as a murder but a kidnapping.

They would also notice, since only a fool wouldn't, that the back door too be smashed open and a trail of hammed like foot prints indented the ground towards the beach.

At the scene they would find blood, a bent tire iron and an abandoned car. It painted a grim picture to them.

They didn't even need to get the blood tested to prove their gut theory on what happened. Some poor smuck was at the wrong place at the wrong time and tried to do the right thing.

God rest his soul.

At least he went down fighting. Hopefully that'll be enough for his family. They knew it wouldn't but they hoped.

* * *

Fish.

He could see them though the small window of the whatever they were in. He would say submarine but it was way too small for that.

That little guessing game was the only thing keeping him relatively calm. The little girl next to him had only calmed down when she had finally fallen asleep after hours of being trapped in that metal tub.

A luxury she had that he was immensely jealous of. He refused to lose his consciousness. That thing was still there after all. Just sitting there watching them, intensely, uncaring, unmoving. For all intents and purposes it was a statue.

One that could move at any moment and kill them but a statue none the less.

Xander tried to suppress a wince as the little girl snuggled into his side. He didn't know if they were cracked, fractured or broken but his ribs were something and it hurt.

But he would ignore it, for her sake as much as his. He would get them out of there.

He had to.

The 'room' shook and quaked startling the little girl awake and jarring Xander's wounds. They could feel pressure shift as the water drained and the air compressed, making things airtight before moving further into where ever. He could make out brief sights of steel and iron as their... craft was dragged further into the complex.

"Where are we?" The little one asked clinging frightfully to his arm.

"I have no idea."

After a few more minutes of travel the room finally stopped moving and the statue finally moved, unlocking the door and unleashing a mighty burst of air.

As the door opened it lumbered towards the two kidnapees and forced them out the opening and into a grand looking room that somehow made him feel... claustrophobic. Like the wall could crumble and kill them any second. Neon signs and mute statues decorated the expanding hallways but everything felt like a ruin.

The thing pushed them forward towards a set of stairs. Xander glared but cowed away as the thing glared and the light briefly blinked red.

He was in no shape for, nor did he desire, a round two.

As they walked up the stairs and down the hall the girl never relinquished her grip on his hand. He didn't mind because honestly it was helping him keep his cool.

"What do they want?"

"I don't know..." Xander jaw twitched as he tried to fine soothing little nickname, "Sweetheart, but stay quiet for now. We don't want Mr. grumpy behind us deciding we're talking too much."

She dared a glance behind her and immediately turned back nodding her head.

Through all their twist and turning the creature eventually lead them to what looked like a store front with a big blue and pink neon sign that read 'Optimized Eugenics'.

The things grabbed them by the scruff of the neck and forced them to stop where they stood, a hand firmly on each of their shoulders. Xander gave the whimpering girl's hand a squeeze, hoping that it could give her some form of strength.

The doors slid open like something out of a sci-fi movie and a man in crisp business suit came strutting out.

"Ah out guest are finally here!" The man said almost grandly as walked over to them, "I usually don't come to greet the new recruits but I found myself interested in what I saw through Beta's camera."

Okay, so this was another one of those evil human science deals. This is like what? the fifth, sixth one? Hmmm, should he count Moloch or not? He was a demon but he was revived through science.

He missed part of whatever speech the man was spieling but he quickly tuned back in and filled in the pieces. Yattah yattah, impressed by Xander's willingness to help the little girl, seems to be the perfect candidate to become a Bid Daddy...

"Uh, what?"

The man gave him a smile that the Cali native could have sworn was meant to be encouraging, "What I mean young man is that you have been chosen! Chosen to join the ranks of the Protectors of Rapture! To become a seaborn warrior like the man behind you!"

Man? Behind him?

Xander spared the creature behind him a nervous glance. That was once human? And they were going to turn him into one?

Uh, no way in hell.

In fear, panic and desperation Xander dove out of the former man's grip, scooped up the little girl and ran for all his worth. The pain in his ribs burned his sides but he ignored it, pushing it aside for the sake of survival.

A deep throaty moan of a roar echoed through the decrepit halls as a series of jack hammer like steps followed after him.

Xander ran as hard as he could, pushing his body as hard as he could but the storm of steps just kept on getting closer and closer.

The cloth of his shirt became twisted as the 'Big Daddy' gripped the material and pulled, flinging Xander back nearly the entire length he had ran.

"Mister? Mister? Are you okay." The little girl asked from atop his chest.

Xander ignored her question and groaned out a command, "Run!"

"But," She started obvious not wanting to leave him but torn with her own want to escape.

"Run!"

She got three steps before the man in the suit grabbed her by wrist in an obviously painful grip. "And exactly would she run to?" He asked obviously amused. "Beta, please take your future compatriot to Dr. Shu while I take this little one to Dr. Miller."

The thing let out a low groan as it started to drag Xander through the door under the blue sign. Xander barely got a glimpse of the little girl struggling while she was dragged through the door under the pink sign.

* * *

Dr. Shu was a graying Asian man with a few Caucasian features protruding from his face, such as a square jaw and high cheek bones. But in honesty that wasn't how Xander was going to remember the man, he was going to remember the 'good' doctor as an enthusiastic monster that loved his work.

Explaining to Xander in great detail what he was doing step by step. Why the man wouldn't shut up Xander would never know but he wished the older man would just shut it. He even told the man so, but he just tutted.

"Now we can't have that. Hmmm, I suppose the voice box modification will have to be first. The notes say to save it for the end but they're techniques, while genius and on several level of break though, are antiquated." The bastard flagged over one those things he was going to turn him into.

"Delta, please bring the recruit to the room at the end of the hall. And do be more gentle than Beta would you? It is already going to take a few moments to patch him up. It slows things up. Not by much but enough to get one my nerves."

The thing groaned as it picked Xander up and carried him down the surprisingly well maintained and clean hallway. He was quickly pushed into the last room, again better maintained than the rest of the place from what he's seen so far, and strapped standing in front of some sort of bladed egg beater like thing.

He struggled to escape of course but found it was like trying to beat Buffy in arm wrestling. There was no way to win.

"Oh, hold still." The doctor chided before stabbing something into Xander's side and injected something into his side.

"What the hell!?"

"Ribs feeling better now? I can see the scrapes and bruises starting fade but without x-rays or unstrapping you I cannot tell." Xander didn't answer him because they were feeling better and he didn't want to give the guy any feeling of accomplishment, "Oh, fine, don't answer. I'll find out later anyway."

And without another word he pressed a button on the wall and Xander knew pain. The bladed egg beater tore into his throat, rearrange vocal cords, damaging his voice box and doing something to it. He couldn't tell, the pain and unfamiliar sensation too much for him.

When it finally did end he was left weak and gasping. The Delta thing had no problem taking him to the next room.

"There isn't that better?" The man said as flopped on the table in front of actual human attendants and striped of his clothing. One of them injected something into his arm that made him feel relatively numb quick, "Now, here comes the fun part!" Xander could just imagine him rubbing his hands together, "In the old days, before this place was a ruin, they would have just dumped you into a vat and let things soak in but these days we are a little bit more clinical and effective."

The table he was being strapped to had no real back, just a hole with conveniently placed stapes of metal to keep him from falling through.

A needle penetrated deeply into his arm and he could swear he felt it penetrate his bone, "For one, we now inject the 'Plasmid' powers via bone marrow injection and absorption. Oh my, you don't know what those are do you? Well... have you ever read those Xmen comics? You look like a boy that has. Well anyway, down here we have been able to develop Tonics and Plasmids to give a similar effect to those powers."

"For example, the one just injected into your right Ulna is a little power we like to call Incinerate," another needle went equally as deep, "In the right Radius in Electro bolt." Another "Left Ulna, Winters Breath." And another "And last, telekinesis. I'm sure all the names are self explanatory. Anyway, we do this for a more... hmmm, well, stable use of power."

The attendant gave him another small shout that made his mind and thoughts even groggier than before.

"Next we are going to do a relatively new surgery, Gregory watch carefully as you'll be doing this on the next recruit." Xander felt the table rotate as he was spun to face the doctor.

"Now recently we have discovered that the appendix does serve a purpose but we simply grow out of it." Xander felt a tugging on his abdomen as the doctor cut into him, nothing more. Just a cut and a light amount of blood spilling over the edge. "Eric, suction. There we are. Now as I was saying, the appendix functions as an added immunal defense and producer in our young but as we get older we need it less and less. "

"Now this leaves us with a fairly interesting opportunity, especially to our Xenobiologist. I'll admit I'm only a bit of a dabbler but our local experts gave me enough information to perform the procedure. Now within the sea slugs that produce the ever important ADAM we believe we found the organs responsible for the creation of the substance." Xander let out a moan of protest as the man start to shift through Xander's organs .

"Now while in the early stage we have had some success with converting and combing the outdated organ with material from the slug to have a human, besides a Little Sister, to produce ADAM. A crude and small amount per day but a promising step. A promising step we've decided to use for out protectors."

The doctor started to cut open Xander's appendix and prepare for the Xenotransplant, explaining to both his patient and his apparent students what he was doing. Xander was pretty sure he blacked out a few times but he was awake enough to know what they were doing to him.

He wanted to fight, to scream, but he felt so numb, so tired.

They were messing with him, tearing into him, changing him. Turning him. Like a vampire.

Like a VAMPIRE.

Rage boiled in him and he struggles renewed once again, ignoring the fact that his stomach was opened for the world to see. He only paused when blinding pain and spasms. He felt... something skim by his fingertips as he raged on.

"Oh? You are still able to struggle? I would have thought the Big Daddy indoctrination drug would have gained more of an effect by now. We were trying to see how effective it was doping you up gradually would be. It seemed to be working rather well... oh well." He let out a disappointed sigh, "Up the dosage."

Several more needles were placed into various veins, His head went groggy then clear but he couldn't think. It was like he knew was going on but that was all he could process, just the moment.

Fingers snapped in front of his face but he couldn't really process it. "Alright, I think the drug is starting to kick him. Let's stitch him up and get him ready for the deep tissue tonic injections. And someone prep the pheromone room please."

* * *

Emily didn't like it there. It was dark, it was damp, and they did things to her. Injected her with things and put something wiggly in her belly.

In just a week her usual caramel colored skin had turned a dark gray color and when she saw her reflection in the mirror her eyes glowed dark eerie yellow.

They said it was necessary, that they had a job to do. To collect the ADAM from the sleeping Angels. They said the city needed it... and that it would taste good when she got it.

They let her try some, it was really really good.

They said soon she would get a new Daddy, one that would protect her no matter what.

She didn't care. She just wanted to go home.

She wished that nice man would come back for her. Rescue her like those knights and heroes from her favorite cartoons and stories.

"Oh, little one." One of the watchers of the Little Sister Orphanage called out from the entrance of the room. "You're new Daddy is here to pick you up."

Emily hesitantly left her room, grabbing along a stuffed penguin and the Needle they gave her. She followed the strange lady out of the room and towards the main foyer where the man in the suit and one of those things waited for her.

"Ah! Little one! How are you fitting in" She didn't say anything, she just held her penguin tighter to her chest and held her new needle at the ready in case he tried anything. "Ah, a shy one. How cute. But here I have a surprise for you. Subject Theta, take up your helmet if you would."

The thing didn't say anything. It just obliged as it twisted off the air tight helmet and allowed the girl to see his face.

It had changed just like hers, paler and his eyes almost glowed a slight amber. But despite the changes she knew it was him, the man who tried to save her. "Mister!" She yelled, running up and hugging his leg, hoping that this was the moment the hero came to save the princess.

But he didn't react like he did before. He didn't scoop her up and try to run away, he didn't try to hit the bad men who hurt her, the only thing he did was smile and pat her on the head.

Which was nice... and he smelled good too but he wasn't the same.

"He's not exactly the same anymore," The man said almost reading her mind, "But he's in there and he'll protect you when you go out into the city. Theta."

The new Big Daddy put the helmet back on his head and held out his hand for her to take.

She hesitated, she was scared but this was the mister who tried to help her before and he smelled so good now. She knew she would be safe with him so she took the hand.

* * *

"Hurry up Daddy!" Emily yelled to large armored man behind her. Her Daddy may not be the biggest over the last few months he had proved himself the best.

He was fast, he was strong, and he destroyed anything that threatened her or made her cry. He took care of her, played with her, he was the best.

He even found tvs and video tapes that actually worked for her! But it was almost always some old man talking. No fun at all.

Emily slid across the floor as she entered the room and slid the recording into place. She bounced excitedly as she waited for the screen flickered to life, but that quickly died down and her face contorted into pout.

It was that stupid old man again.

"Stupid old man." She said out loud before stomping away."Let's go Daddy."

But for once the Big Daddy Theta didn't immediately follow. He stared at the screen as the old man boldly proclaimed something, something that started to clear the fog that occupied his mind.

"A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys."

* * *

**AN:**

**This was one of those ideas that took only a day to write so if its crap my bad but it just kept flowing. I wish my actual stories could work like this though.**

**Anyway, this is a crossover with the ever awesome game BioShock, which I wish I could even a bit of the brilliance used to make it.**

**Rapture is being rebuilt by the descendant of one of the escapees, I have an idea who but I'll keep that to myself until I decide, or someone else decides, to continue this. Though it feels off because of how disconnected it would be from Buffy verse till Xander, and his little one, escapes. **

**Anyway, tell me what you think and peace.**


	13. The Lies of our Lives

**Thought I'd make an interesting entry to my one-shots for the possible future of all of them.**

**I apologize for the shortness of it ahead of time.**

**Summary: #!Rfr2Error #!dwError&q32e! $#Error #$!#% # C-can not b,b,b,b be viewed.**

**Title: The Lies of our Lives  
**

* * *

The sound of clashing metal filled they dying world. A something creeping through the cracks of just about everything, silencing and stilling everything with its unknown touch. The people lost shades of their coloring as it touched them and they stared slack jawed at the sight before them.

Two fighters zagged through the air through different methods as they clashed over and over again.

"Tch." One of the fighters said as he was forced to land on the ground and glare up at his opponent, who was standing on thin air. "Can't you see what's happening to this world!? What he's doing!?"

In a flash the other boy was on him, the bastard sword swinging down powerfully against what looked like a giant key. "What does it matter? It's not like any of this is real anyway." The owner of the more normal looking sword growled as he tried to press an advantage.

The key user used the end of his strange weapon to pull the sword away and hit his opponent with the pommel. No blood was spilled as it his solidly against his nose."It's real enough to them!" The key wielder shouted back as a burst of speed propelled him forward.

The other boy rocketed into the sky and stepped onto the air as if it was solid. He quickly whipped his nose, as if he was searching for blood on his uninjured face, before shouting back impassioned then before, "It's all a lie! Lies MADE by someone else! They get off on fucking with our lives! I mean look at us!" He gestured wildly between the two of them, "We're the same damn person!"

It was true, bar a few differences the two could be confused for twins or atleast brothers. The hair, they eyes, the nose, the jaw, everything about them was the same. The only noticeable difference was the slight age difference that put the key wielder in his early twenties compared to his others late teens.

The key wielder shook his in disagreement, "We are our own people. We lived our own lives, make our own decisions,"

An oppressing green power slammed down through the area as thicker shade of it flickered around the floating boy. "You still don't get it do you? All our choice, all our victories, all our suffering, all lies! We are fakes! Fakes made to entertain some fucking nerds looking at a computer screen." A harsh but apparently calming breath escaped his lips, "But we can change that, he can change that."

The sword in his hand start to glow an almost bloody looking purple as he rose it to his shoulder as if it was some sort of demented wing, "We can live our own lives free," His own green aura seemed to rapidly lose its yellow coloring as his sword lost its red, leaving only a single hue of blue, "And you won't stop us."

The key wielder cursed as he jumped impossibly high in the air and started to glide rapidly towards his target, hoping to stop the inevitable.

"Through my Vengeance," The air pulsed briefly as power started to climb within him, "Earn your Redemption."

"Xander!" The key wielder screamed as he dive bombed towards his other, trying to stop the fight before it could escalate further. His sword like key glowing an almost golden color as he prepared to slash it down.

But he was too late as amber eyes glared up at his charge and their owner screamed, "LIAM!"

* * *

"You watch us, manipulate us, you change our lives and make us suffer and for what? Petty entertainment? Because you're bored? Because you have nothing better to do with your lives!?

You fragment and distort our very beings with every word your type, with every image you make, and I say no more.

I've seen you, staring at us like the bunch of perverts that you are, and I will not stand for it any longer. All of this will end!

Because I'm going to end this.

Because I'm coming for you.

All of you."

* * *

**AN:**

**The idea behind this is that a character saw passed the fourth wall and did not like what he had seen. So now he's tearing through fanfiction after fanfiction trying to get to cannon and then our world. With every world he visits he recruits and who he doesn't recruit he drains, effectively powering down the whole story.**

**One of the people he tried to recruit and failed was Xander that has A Key In Hand and by using his key powers he was able to escape and try to save as many Fic worlds as he could, locking away the world's that he visits from "His" grasp. Unfortunately "He" managed to recruit the Zanpakto wielding version of Xander to act as a vanguard/key blocker for the coming conquest.**

**So basically it's a continuation of Key in Hand with a hints of a few of the other stories in it. Think of it as a preview, I guess, because of how short it is. It's almost painful but I can't think of much else to add at this point.**


	14. Move So Slow

**Pre-fluke. Aka, Homecoming episode before the kiss that made no sense (To me, I mean come on! Xander treats Willow like one of the guys/his little sister for years/the whole series and suddenly he kisses her? I get sudden love but… seriously?)**

**Summary: **Who says you have to be destined to be chosen?

**Title: Moves So Slowly**

* * *

To be chosen is to become an avatar of sorts to powers larger and greater than oneself. To be empowered by these forces to do as they deemed. Usually the individuals chosen to do this are destined for it far before their births but sometimes someone peaks something's interest.

For whatever reason this person wasn't so much chosen as chose. They chose to step forward to do something that the higher force approves of and gives their power willingly to these people. These individuals used to step up so often that dozens of forces made this their sole way of choosing their champion. A choice that has left many without champions for decades and centuries.

Which was why these higher forces watch champions chosen by destiny, partly out of jealously and partly out of pure hope that maybe, just maybe, those destined would find someone that chooses. People who chose to take up a fight that they weren't destined for but could not bring themselves to ignore.

It's rare and far between due to the swings and gears of fate bringing those who were destined together but every once in a while they'd get somebody. Like the companion of the latest, or was the latest, Slayer.

When they first turned their gaze towards her and her companions it seemed like another bust.

The Watchers fell under the same purview as the Slayer.

The new Slayer line was still under old management.

Her witch friend was picked up a force of magic shortly after her birth.

The werewolf fell under the moon's jurisdiction.

The ensouled vampire was being watched by the Powers of Balance.

The cheerleader was being watched by a fallen power, something to pass down the rumor mill to be sure but still they couldn't touch her.

But that one boy who followed all of them like a lost puppy, he was free of any observers and up for the figurative grabs.

A force of Love wanted to call dibs and would offer the boy quicker healing for himself and others around him. Though it did say it would mess with his love life because of his miss used love life.

A force of War also stepped up saying the boy was rightfully his from the Halloween incident. The power of War would offer the boy greater strength and durability as well as a knowledge of all known warfare, from ancient times to the most modern.

A Feral force claimed the boy for itself, snapping at the others that it had rightful claim due to the accidental exposure to the Primal ritual. It would offer the boy greater senses, instincts and reflexes.

Now usually one force would win out in the debate and claim the boy, maybe have him choose in a dream, or perhaps they would come to a compromise and all claim the boy giving their combined blessing but not this time. This time a sentient dimension of pure power, of pure acceleration, spoke up and told them, "Too Slow".

* * *

Xander Harris was walking home from the grocery store hoping to all that he'd get there before the rain started. The dark cloud covering the afternoon sky were already shaking and flashing from the incoming storm.

Damn his parent s for not letting him use the car to pick up all their stupid stuff. Sure he liked soda as much as the next guy, and despite a few opinions he understood the importance of laundry detergent, but the stuff gets heavy after carrying it for a couple of blocks!

Still, he probably wouldn't be grumbling as much if didn't have other things weighing on his mind. The two heaviest weights were one, trying to find a tux within his budget that meets his girlfriend's standards and two, the nagging feeling that the others were purposely leaving him out of the loop when it comes to the supernatural.

It was just small little things that he was probably over reacting too. Conversations veered away from missions and patrols, meetings starting earlier than usual and during his assigned detentions. It probably wasn't on purpose or in malice but he noticed. Again he was pretty sure he was just over analyzing and over reacting.

But a constant feeling of inadequacy would always follow him when he was with his friends. He was the only normal one in a group of super heroes. He tried to keep up but all of them were so beyond him in some way. He could only pray that he proved himself useful in some way as time kept passing them by.

What happened next Xander didn't even have time to contemplate. One second he was turning onto his street, the next there was a flash of light and he was on the ground twitching painfully in the puddle of liquid from his burst open groceries.

Now if this happened at night this might have been the last moments of Xander Harris life, suffering on the ground for hours by himself immobile from pain and temporary paralysis waiting for some predator looking for a snack. But the Sunnydale of night was very different then Sunnydale in the daylight hours.

In Xander's fading consciousness he could hear some woman let out a scream as a man called for someone to call 911. The stomping of footsteps approaching his position being the last thing he heard as he finally lost whatever grip he had on the waking world.

* * *

It wasn't a way any of them really thought they would end up in the hospital. It was just so… normal. A rather freaky kind of normal, a really freaky kind of normal, but it was still a rather mundane reason. Not that they weren't all fretting for the boy's life.

Getting struck by a bolt of lightning was serious business and they still weren't allowed to see their friend. So far it was family visiting only and Xander's mother was too racked with nerves to tell them anything. The whole group irritably noticed that Xander's father didn't bother to show up even though his son was in the hospital.

Cordelia was glaring out the window at the rain splattering against the glass. She knew it was stupid to be literally cursing at the sky but damn it she didn't know what else to do. She had already asked/demanded from Giles if it could have been one of Buffy's freaksome enemies trying to get at her but that theory was denied through a long, and nerve bound, lecture about the difficulty of weather magic and the tactics of using them.

The short version was that it was very difficult and time consuming and would have been better to strike Buffy directly.

With nothing to scream at, to blame, to belittle she felt so useless, helpless. A feeling she knew was shared with every other person sitting with her in the waiting room.

They all looked so lost, and in the case of Willow on the verge of tears. All of them to do anything but wait to hear anything. Even bad news at that point would have been welcomed as it would have given them a direction to focus their emotions.

It wouldn't be till nearly two hours later that they would get any news, Xander's mother giving the Doctor permission to update Willow on her son's status.

Burns of various degrees around his body, heart stopping once on the way to the hospital, and in a state of coma for an unknown amount of time. While the girls did cry, or were on the verge of it, all of them couldn't help but feel relief.

He was alive and that was all any of them could hope for.

* * *

Faith walked into the hospital feeling self-conscious and stupid. And maybe, just maybe, a little hurt.

Why had it taken them so long to tell her that Xander was in the hospital? Why did she have to ask where he was to get an answer? Wasn't she part of their little group? Wasn't she good enough?

Trying to shake such thoughts away from her mind she asked the receptionist which room Xander was in. But on the way to the room nagging thoughts came back to her mind. Like why was even bothering to even visit Xander?

Maybe, despite his somewhat perverted approach to it, he had accepted her into the group more than the others? Maybe because she thought if you fought besides someone you deserved something?

Maybe because on some level she thought, hoped, she was friends with the Scoobies?

Growling at herself in frustration she once again forced those thoughts aside as she opened the door and entered her fallen… comrade's room. He didn't look as bad as she figured he would, the whole getting hit by lighting thing and all.

A few burns around his face, his hair cut shorter to get rid of the burnt and singed strand but otherwise he looked perfectly fine. Well, besides the whole not waking up thing.

She shifted awkwardly by his bed. She wasn't really sure what she was supposed to do now. She couldn't afford get well flowers or one of those stupid little teddy bears like she saw done on TV and she didn't know if trying to talk to a comatose body was acceptable or not.

For the moment she settled with making sure he was alright. Before she left the room, after only a handful of minutes visiting, she awkwardly patted his hair and asked that he woke up soon as things weren't nearly as funny without him.

* * *

The next morning, the fourth day of Xander's prolonged slumber, the on duty nurse walked into his room. At first everything seemed fine, she checked the monitors, changed the IV, made the updates to his charts as she did so. But one her way out of the room she accidentally jarred his bed, just enough to shake the bed lightly and for her to stat to curse herself.

Only start because a moment later Xander Bolted upright in the bed with a rather exaggerated gasp, simultaneously giving the poor woman one of the biggest shocks of her life. The boy's eyes went from clouded to sharp with a seconds time as his head whipped around rapidly, taking in every detail he could. When his eyes finally fell on her he let out a series in such a rush she couldn't quite catch what he had said.

"Excuse me? What was that?"

The boy seemed irritated about having to repeat himself but he did it again, speaking far too fast for her to catch. "Slow down, just a bit please?"

Again he seemed irritated but he did speak slower, which despite its pace of a normal person seemed to hold the air of him talking to a particularly slow toddler, "Why am I here?"

That wasn't unexpected. The few survivors of lightning strikes rarely remembered what happened to them, or believed it. So she explained it to him.

At the beginning of her explanation he seemed impatient but the expression on his face quickly turned to one of shock and surprise as she got to the end of it. "Really?" He managed to ask at a normal pace.

She gave a nod and then excused herself to go get the doctor. Call it Sunnydale instinct, or maybe a bit of common sense, but if someone unnerves you in a hospital she thought it best to have some orderlies with her.

* * *

Xander smiled happily as Willow babbled to him with excitement about what happened since he'd been hospitalized. He found the babble greatly comforting not just because of its familiarity but because of the pace of it. It almost sounded like a decent pace to him.

Everyone else just seemed to talk so… sluggish to him. Actually, everything did. It was almost like time had changed speed for everything around him.

Anyway so far the updates included a Slayer hunt, which ended badly for the wannabe hunters, mentally de-aging candy bars, something he sorely wished he could have seen, and the arrival of Faith's new Watcher.

According to Willow the new Watcher seemed decent, a little strict but seemed to have at least her head in the right place. Oh, and apparently Faith seemed ecstatic to have her own Watcher.

"Good for her!" Xander cheered, doing his best to keep the pace of his voice slower than he would have liked. "She deserved a new one."

"I guess." Willow said with a shrug, not really caring more than the fact she had another person around that she could pick the brain of. "So when do you get out?"

"The docs are keeping me here for another day for observation, standard post coma stuff. They want me to come back over the next few weeks though, make sure there is no long term damage from the bolt."

Willow nodded her head in understanding, both on the subject and Xander's half way babble. He seemed to be doing that a lot now when he talked. A side effect of having a couple hundred bolts of electricity run through his body? She read somewhere that people become twitchy after massive amounts of electrical exposure so maybe it was like that.

Another thing she was somewhat happy to note, in an admittedly morbid kind of way, was that lighting did leave a flower like scar on its survivors. It spread widely from Xander's chest to back and in her totally biased by boyfriend opinion made him look even hotter than before.

Getting back on subject she asked if he'd be going to school the next day and he let out a rather depressed sigh and said probably. This bit of information did much to brighten her mood even when Cordelia came by for her visit.

* * *

Xander was angry. He had been for a while. At Buffy for hiding the fact that murdering time bomb of a boyfriend of hers was back, at the ex-Watcher post for betraying his kind've friend, at himself for not being able to do more.

He couldn't help that he was sidelined because of his lighting caused injuries but it annoyed the crap out of him.

But now he was beyond furious.

How could everyone be so stupid? How could they do this to their friends? Their family?

In front of him three of his friends stood tied to oversized stakes ready to be set a flame by a cheering crowd. Without a second thought he moved through the crowd and snagged the torches out of the angry women's hands.

With a great empathize he tossed the lite sticks to the ground and stomped out the flames with his foot. Turning back to the crowd he saw them staring at him in mute shock, he didn't know why but they were. Some of them were trying to say, maybe scream, something but he couldn't find himself to care what they may have been trying to say. He just turned and untied his friends, barely noticing the confused, relieved and bewildered expressions of their faces.

As he finished and gave the three girls the once over a dual voice rang through the sluggish world around him, "No!"

Turning around Xander could make out a lumbering creature push its way through the rapidly disbursing crowd. He called out to Buffy, willing her to move on the attack despite everything. But as he turned to glance at her he noticed that she was moving but it was like she was wading through water. Slow, so slow.

How could a Slayer be so slow?

He didn't know but he knew actions needed to be taken on the sooner side that later. So picking up a piece of the intended kindling Xander raced as fast as he could towards the monster.

What happened next he wasn't expecting. Not the part where he lost his grip on his make shift weapon and his hands stinging from the impact. No, he was expecting that. What he wasn't expecting was to see the piece of timber lodged in the monster's head.

By the time Buffy made it to the monster Xander was already wondering what was going on and mid-way through a panic attack as dozens of different stray thoughts and theories came to mind.

**AN:**

**Sorry for how short this is but it only took me like three hours to write this. I was hit by inspiration by 'The Ballad of Barry Allan' by Jim's Big Ego.**

**Anyway, if it wasn't obvious this is a Buffy/Flash crossover. I own neither. For those who don't know Flash's powers basically allow him to do everything fast. Running, moving, react, thinking, healing, recuperating, ect. This power is granted through a connection to the Speed Force, semi sentient higher plane/dimension/after life. In all honesty the closer to this Force a speedster is the more broken they become, I'm talking near god like power.**

**If I did do do this fic I'll probably show more of Xander trying to adjust to the slower world. I'll probably keep his powers low end Flash, barely breaking the sound barrier for now. And nothing against Cordelia (Second favorite to pair with Xander) but I'll probably have her and Xander break up, playing it as she can't take all the weirdness… Then I'd probably pair him with my favorite Faith. I'll probably have her get better with her 'new thing' aka bow and arrow. People who watch Young Justice will get it.  
**


	15. A Matter of Time

**A bit of a different take on YAHF. It's another "Only too a few hours" write so please forgive the quality but enjoy the idea.**

**Summary: **Buffy and Willow have an important talk with Faith.

**Title: Matter of Time  
**

* * *

It was a few days after Kakistos and Faith's confession when Willow and Buffy pulled her aside saying they were going to initiate her into the group. This at first caused a few mixed emotions that leaned towards the amused side. Well after she got out of the way that she wouldn't take any hazing.

But after that she found herself generally excited.

For once, after a very long while, she was being accepted into a group. Not pity project, or eye candy to spice up things, but a genuine part of something.

And then she found out what their initiation entailed. Two long hours of watching some stupid British show at Buffy's house.

She tried to leave, she tried to bitch her way out, she even attempted a stealthy escape but they kept her there. They mostly used words, putting emphasis on how important watching the show was, but Buffy seemed perfectly willing to push her fellow Slayer back down into her chair.

With a huff she stayed in the chair understanding that she wouldn't be leaving without a serious fight, something she didn't want to get into the two girls who could be her friends. Why they were treating the situation so seriously she didn't know but they were. So she resigned herself to watching the damn thing and trying not the twitch as they spent more time watching her then the pre-recorded show, making sure she was watching and judging her reactions.

At least things started to pick up when those scarecrows started to come to life.

As she watched the show she felt a vague pain in her chest. The same one she got when Giles did something so up tightly British that it reminded her of her own Watcher. God she missed her. No fashion sense and all.

Blinking away a few wayward emotions and shoving them down deep in her stomach she continued to watch the television, ignoring everything in favor of the show. It was actual a decent distraction and not as torturing as she thought it was going to be.

Though she did feel for that guy finding out his whole life was a lie, that he was really just a cover identity for his real self. That had to be rough. She wasn't even sure if she could even think about opening that pocket watch and losing all that was her.

And when the real him showed up she could see why he was scared. Dude was intense.

What she still didn't know was why she was forced to watch two entire episodes of Doctor Who like it was the most important thing in the world.

"So… Are we done now?" She asked briefly wondering if this really was a pathetic attempt at hazing.

"Not quite." Buffy said as she none to subtly nudged Willow and jerked her head towards the kitchen. Nodding almost solemnly Willow got up to do whatever Buffy wanted her to. Almost as soon as the red head got up Buffy opened her mouth to say something and then closed it, allowing a rather unsettling look to fall on her face.

"Faith… we're going to trust you with something big here, alright? And we, I, need you to promise me something."

The brunette shifted, feeling really uncomfortable with how serious things had seem to have gotten. One second they're watching some foreign show the next it seems like life and death. "Depends on the promise. Ain't agreeing to shit til then."

The request came quick, "You have to promise never to mention this to Xander."

She blinked, and then did it again. So stunned she couldn't help but blurt out, "Why?" Xander was goofy and more than a little weird but he seemed like an overall good guy from what she could tell. She wasn't sure how good he was in a fight, hadn't seen him do too much yet but he's been a part of the Sunnydale group for a while now so why couldn't he know something they were showing to someone they only knew for a little over a week?

"Because we're not sure how he'd react." Willow answered for the blonde as she came into the room with an unsettling box in her hand. It shouldn't have disturbed her as much as it did, or at all really. It was just a simple wooden box, barely bigger than the red head's hand and yet she felt… something.

Rage, fear, compassion, all burning. All spiraling.

All never ending.

What the hell was in that thing!?

As Faith stared at the box warily Buffy decided she knew where to begin explaining things. "Last Halloween a man came to town and set up a costume shop…"

Willow and Buffy would talk for a few minutes more about how the man's plan was to change everyone into their costumes to cause chaos and gain Giles attention, as they were ex-friends, and how afterwards the victims could remember bits and pieces of their costumes life.

Eventually though Faith had to cut them off, her curiosity and wariness getting the better of her, "What does that have to do with the box?" Seriously, the thing was making her Slayer senses stand on edge and she wasn't sure what to make of it. It was like seeing a gun on a table, you know it was dangerous but at the moment it wasn't going to hurt you. Or at least that's how she could best describe it.

Buffy sighed, "I knew we should have brought Giles."

"No, you said it was probably best if we left this conversation up to us girls."

Buffy looked like she was about to chastise the girl for contradicting her but let it go in favor of continuing the conversation. "Anyway, after that whole mess ended we all remember something except Xander. He said it was like he had passed out for hours, he didn't even know how he got downtown with us. We figured he was just repressing or something because, well, his character was pretty intense. But the next day we found out we were wrong."

She paused again for reasons unknown to Faith, "You see, Xander borrowed some clothes from Giles to complete his costume, something about looking properly British and a bowtie, and Giles kind've got into it too since he liked the character, giving Xander a bunch of knick knacks and stuff to go with the costume." Buffy rambled before catching herself, "Anyway, after we checked in with Giles he returned the stuff he borrowed and inside one of the pockets he found this."

She gestured to the box and Willow, who slightly hesitated at the que, opened the box.

It should have been a simple pocket watch. An ordinary, out of date and style, pocket watch but still it made her breath catch as she saw it. The faint sound of ticking resonating loudly in her ears like a heartbeat.

But beyond that she could hear something. Something that whispered, muttered, and mumbled, into her in eleven different voices.

"_Not yet" _

"_Do not open me" _

"_Keep me dark" _

"_Keep me closed" _

"_Keep me safe"_

"_The time is not right"_

"W-what?" She questioned at first and then slowly dots connected themselves. Why they made her watch those episodes before showing her this, why Xander could never be told. Not to mention how important this was to the group.

Xander had dressed as the Doctor and somehow a part of the Doctor stayed and was waiting to be let out.

That scary, vengeful, son of a bitch was real. That put a totally new perspective of shoving someone into a collapsing galaxy, trapping their daughter in some messed up mirror world, her son into an unmoving scarecrow, and wrapping her husband in unbreakable and heavy chains.

"Yeah, I could hear it too when I looked at it. Guess it's a Slayer thing." Buffy said with an understanding nod. "Other people can hear him if they hold it."

"How?" She asked numbly, trying to sort things out in her head.

"We don't really know…" Willow said honestly, "Some stuff from other costumes stayed too but that was mostly swords, stuff cats turned real, things like that. Nothing really… big."

Faith nodded almost absently.

God, the whole situation just seemed so messed up to her. Did that mean Xander was like that John Smith guy now? Just someone waiting to be written off as soon as the watch opens?

"Why didn't you break it?" She asked thinking of a rather blunt solution to help one of her budding friends.

Again it was Willow who answered, shaking her head as she did so, "We don't know what would happen if we did that. Maybe it all just goes away, or maybe it goes right to Xander." Her tone indicated that she thought of the very same thing numerous times. "And we can't just chuck it to the bottom of the ocean cause the same thing might happen there too."

"Then bury the stupid thing!"

"Tried. It attracted the night life." Buffy said with a bitter tone.

She tried to think of something else, anything else. Someway to help Xander and keep that scary bastard from existing but she came up empty. Breaking it wouldn't work, hiding it wouldn't work, all they could do is lock it up and hope for the best.

The whole situation was just messed up.

* * *

Giles knew what the girls were doing at the moment and could only hope their judgment was sound. They had only known Faith for a short time and, Slayer or not, they didn't know if they could fully trust her. This was the life of one of their trusted companions after all.

He hadn't even shared the information with the Watcher's Council. He contemplated but he realized for every half way decent reason to tell them a dozen more horrible reasons appeared. He couldn't even trust them to lock it up in the Vault without them poking at the damn watch.

He took a sip of the whisky he had become so found of over the past few months while he damned Ethan to a hundred kinds of hell. The life of a boy, one who has helped save the world, literally hanged in the balance because of a stupid pocket watch.

Still though a part of him, a deep and twisted part that he felt confident in blaming his Watcher upbringing on, was grateful for what he had done. As horrible as it sounded it was true.

Ethan had inadvertently given humanity a great asset. A powerful ally that they could truly trust. But as always as soon as that thought comes to his mind guilt riddles through him as remembers the cost. The steep price for such a powerful champion.

He could only hope that guilt would help him hesitate in the coming days because, oh, how often had he wished to open that clasp. To let that man step forward and erase all their problems as he did on the telly, as he did on Halloween night.

The Judge.

Angelus.

Acathla.

Even Kakistos.

So many times in less than a year has he been tempted to shove the watch in the boy's hand and open it. Each time such a threat appeared his first thought, the watch. That blasted watch.

And each time, to his ever growing shame, he felt less guilty for thinking of it. Less hesitant to weigh the cost benefit. Maybe because it seemed like a logical thing, maybe even the right thing in the big picture. But this was the life of a young man he thought of, grudgingly at times, as a friend he was thinking about. Not something to take lightly, ever.

To all heaven he hoped he could keep his hesitance but life on the Hellmouth as it was he feared that someday he would truly have no choice.

* * *

**AN:**

**This is the obligatory part where I say I do not own Doctor Who or Buffy.**

**Anyway the basic idea around this one is that Xander isn't the one keeping his change a secret but everyone else around him keeping it a secret from him. He's still the same Xander but every once in a while you'll see bits of the Doctor leak through. He also has dreams, like John Smith in the episode. Other than that, he's Xander.**

**Until the watch is opened and let me tell you the Doctor is going to be pissed when it opens. He LIKED being Xander Harris. **

**Now for the Doctor who series and how it's so caught up, imagine no hiatus after Seven, at least that's how I'm going to try and play it. Also this Doctor thinks he's number 12 and regenerated that Halloween night to his current face (Willow finding him making faces in the mirror getting used to it).**

**Now peace and please tell me what you think.**


	16. The Fire of a Storm

**This story has two possible options so I've decided to do my favorite of the two.**

**Summary: **Alone no one is truly strong but as one, there is nothing they can't do.

**Story: The Fire of a Storm**

* * *

Xander let out a hefty sigh as he entered Sunnydale's limits.

After what he's seen over his road trip he wasn't sure that he even wanted to comeback but some perverse sense of duty had him come back. To a land filled with monsters and nightmare that was in a near constant war hidden by the night.

And the worse part? He was now dragging some poor traumatized girl with him. Or more accurately, she refused to let him leave without her.

Though to be honest he didn't want to leave her either. He didn't know what they had but it was more than just a simple summer fling or whirlwind romance.

He just... didn't want her to go through any more than she already has. The past few years have been hard on her and she deserved better. Better than what she got and better than him.

He allowed himself a glance away from the road to take in her sleeping form, her he brown hair tumbling all over the place while her nose scrunched and twisted as she dreamed. He didn't know whether to think she was adorable or beautiful.

God, he should have just left her in Dallas with her folks.

But the puppy eyes!

God damn the puppy eyes!

It was like some instinctive attack all women knew to make men crumble before them.

Still, she was here now and there was little to nothing he could do about it now. But one thing was for sure, he was not staying at his parents' house for more than was necessary. A week tops till he could find an apartment and collect his things, he didn't want to make his fragile girl suffer his parent's presence more than absolutely necessary.

Luckily her parents insisted on giving her a sizable stipend until she got on her feet again. She took it gladly, he took it reluctantly. He liked to work for he had and earned. Hence his motivation for why he was going to look for work starting as soon as he talked to his parents and began his hunt for a job.

Again he looked over to the girl next to him. Back once upon a time, two months ago, he promised he'd take care of her and he intended to continue that promise for as long as he possibly could.

Even if it meant burning hell to the ground.

* * *

His parents were… less than accommodating when they showed up to his childhood home. They apparently already moved all of his things into the basement, either not expecting him to come back or expecting him to live down there for now on.

He couldn't accept that, not for his girl. If it was just him he could accept but for her that mothball and spider web infested dungeon. And like hell was he going to pay them rent to live there.

So for the last two days they had been living out of a local, and cheap, hotel while Xander filled out job applications and searched for an apartment. He did his best not to leave her alone at night but sometimes interviews got the better of him.

He made sure she had a cross on her at all times when he wasn't around. She didn't seem to mind that but his time away she did. She was so dependent on him sometimes that he worried she had some sort of Stockholm syndrome on him or something.

He cared for her, maybe even loved her, but he worried that she was just obsessed with him. Living under the delusion that he was something more than what he really was.

She could do so much but she shackled herself to her trauma and to him that she refused to see that.

At least she was happy.

"So this is where you hung out in high school?" She ask curiously as she hung from his arm and examined the building booming with music.

Xander nodded his head as he felt nostalgic looking over the building and its neon sign reading 'The Bronze'. "Yeah, stopped by here probably, three times a week back in the day. At least." Scanning the entering crowd Xander let out a wince, "Though, we're probably over the age limit now."

"Oh, don't be such a fuddy duddy." She said as she started to drag him towards the door. "Let's go in!" As Xander passed the door he gave the bouncer a pained look that only received an amused smirk as he was dragged into the building.

The Bronze hadn't changed since the last time he'd seen it. A mediocre ban slamming on the stage, snack counter had a mile long line and the room was filled with hormonal teenagers. How did Angel stand being the oldest guy in the crowd when he lurked in? Xander himself wasn't much older than anyone in the room and he still felt uncomfortable.

But not his girl, no, despite the fact she was more than half a decade older than him she showed no discomfort. She just tried to sway along to the music, something she hadn't truly heard for years, in half forgotten movements as she dragged him into the dance floor with her.

God, with her clumsy steps and his spastic movements they must have looked like that dorky older couple that had to ruin everyone's fun, but he didn't care. He could only laugh as the stumbled along with the music and just enjoyed the moment for what it was.

They only danced for a song and a half before her exercise deprived legs started to give out on her. As Xander guided her off the dance floor to look for a table he noticed a familiar blonde sitting by her lonesome.

Nudging the brunet next to him he pointed out their target, "Hey, I see one of my friends. Want to go say hi?" At her excited nod all he could was smile.

As they approached her hearing range Xander announce their presence, "The whole world in front of her, and she comes back to this dive."

The blonde swirled around at the familiar voice and her face positively lite up as she stood to greet her old friend, "Xander!" She exclaimed giving him a one armed hug that caused a possessive little pout to appear on the face of the girl hanging off of Xander's arm.

"Hey Buff." He greeted with a smile before a brief realization came to him, brought on by a subtle elbow to the ribs. "Right, intros. Buffy, this is Fred. Fred, this is Buffy."

"Hi!" Fred said she stuck her hand out, "I've heard a lot about you!"

"Uh," Buffy said in a brief bout of confusion. "Wish I could say the same."

"Oh, we just got back from a Pylea so don't worry about it."

Buffy tilted her head at the unfamiliar word, "Where's that?"

"Oh it's a hell dimension Xander rescued me from." As the words left Fred's mouth Xander felt like pinching his nose. There went any chance of easing Buffy into the whole 'sent to hell' thing.

Seeing the confuse to angry to demanding expressions shift on Buffy's face he knew he was going to get a talking down to, as soon as he was strong armed to give her every little detail about his said trip to hell.

* * *

It took a good twenty minutes to give Buffy the cliff notes of his summer, it would have gone quicker if Fred didn't keep on interrupting to embellish or elaborate some details. By the end of it Buffy was looking at him incredulously.

"Let me get this straight," Buffy started, rubbing her temples as if a headache was coming on, "You hear about some mysterious disappearances at a local college you were passing by and decide to look into it, by yourself, without calling any of us."

Xander nodded his head, "Yep."

"And because you're stuck your nose too far into things the guy who was making people disappear through a portal pushed you into said portal, which lead to hell."

Though Fred's face scrunched at the mere hint of the man who made the last few years of her life a literal hell Xander just nodded and pulled her a little closer, "A kind of hell, yep."

"And in this hell you were turned into a slave with an explosive collar and forced to fight other slaves."

"Champion of the 'Cow fights'." There was no pride in that statement, just dark humor and fact. That tone alone made Buffy pause and squint her eyes before moving on.

"Then you killed your demon 'owner' and escaped."

"He left his back open and I had a sword." Xander shrugged, "What did he think was going to happen?"

Again an odd look form Buffy, "And after running and hiding for a forest for a few days you ran into her."

"Who knew how to take off the head blowing up collar and half an idea how to get home." Xander said nodding along again and wrapping up the rest of the story, "An idea I took. All we needed were some old books and a few of the shock collars to do it."

Though the ride how was far from smooth and left behind a few interesting side effects.

While Xander rolled his shoulders as he remembered the rough ride home Buffy seemed a second away from ripping her hair out.

"Xander how could you do something so…" She was at a loss for words as 'stupid' wasn't strong enough to make him understand her frustration.

Unfortunately Fred decided to fill in her missing words all to eagerly, "Amazing? Heroic? Incredible?" Xander shifted uncomfortably over Fred's praising.

Buffy glared at the older woman, "How about insane? Suicidal? Just plain stupid?" Dang, still not strong enough, "You could have died Xander!"

Xander resisted the urge to rub the still healing stab wound on near his stomach, instead he just shrugged. "I thought I could help."

It was honestly simple as that.

He couldn't ignore the strange anymore, not after Buffy appeared in his life and showed him the truth. Even if he was just the doughnut boy, even if he was just a Zeppo, he couldn't help but help.

It was now a part of him as much as anything else.

When Buffy looked like she was about to add more Xander stopped her, firmly, harder than he ever would in high school. And considering how antagonistic they were towards each other at times that was saying something. "Buffy, just drop it. It happened, it passed, I'm alive, Fred was rescued, semi-happy endings for all. Let's just move on."

The two high-school friends locked eyes for a moment, a rather tense one that made Fred look between the two of them nervously, before Buffy just sigh and nodded. "Fine, but this isn't over."

Xander waved off the comment without a care and his tense body language loosened as a much friendlier look appeared on his face, "Anyway," Obvious ignoring the previous atmosphere, "How's college life? Settling in alright?"

"Ooh, what's your major?" Fred asked in interest, "Mine was Physics… and Biology… and Chemistry," She would have gone on but Xander's hand over her lips as he saw the increasingly deflating affect her words had on Buffy.

"Buff, is everything good?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Removing his hand from Fred's mouth he gave Buffy a disbelieving look, "Uh-huh, want to try that again? Maybe with a little more feeling so I can buy it?"

"No, really!" She shook her head as if trying to dissuade him from thinking she was lying, "I-I mean, Willow's in heaven and Oz has this really cool house off campus with the band."

"And you're sitting here alone at the Bronze looking like you just got diagnosed with cancer of the puppy."

Buffy bit her lip as her gaze briefly flickered to Fred, unsure if she wanted to share anything personal with this stranger. But eventually her need to get things off her chest won out over her discomfort, "It's just... there was this vampire, and she took me down, and I just... I don't know how to stop her."

"Then where's the gang?" Xander asked tilting his head in confusion before pumping his fist in the air, "Avengers assemble! Let's get it going!"

But instead of getting hyped like he hoped Buffy just shook her head, "No, I don't want to bug them. I mean they're just starting school, and they don't need this."

"Ok Buff, what's the 'what' here?" Xander asked feeling utterly confused.

"It's just," Buffy started, paused and started again, "What if I can't cut it?

"Can't cut what? Slaying?"

Buffy shrugged, "Slaying, everything."

Xander now regarded her hardly, "Buffy, I'm going to need you to stop talking like that, like this second."

"Why, it's true."

"It doesn't matter if it's true or not, you're Buffy. Fear isn't something that stops you." Xander told her seriously, looking her right in the eye as he spoke, "You trip and fall over it but you never let it stop you before. You try fighting your way through, that's what you do, that's who you are. And that's what helped me get through Pylea. When things started getting bad, when I got too scared to even move I just asked myself "what would Buffy do" and look where that got me? It got me free, it got me out of hell. Buffy, that's why you're my hero."

Standing up from his chair he offered Buffy his hand, "Now how about we show Fred here how the local team deals with vampires? What do you say?"

Taking his hand into her Buffy said with wide eyes and a grin, "I say thanks."

* * *

Finding the vampires hideout wasn't that hard, Fred proving herself just as quick in the computer department as Willow and helped connect every clue Xander and Buffy scrounged through the newspapers for. Xander gave her a peck on the cheek and said she was the brains of the pair.

Buffy had squirmed a little at the innocent yet intimate act. Part of her was happy for her friend and that he found somebody but other parts of her couldn't help but point out some ugly things. Like how most of Xander's other relationships went, the cheating, the attempted murders. And then there was the way Fred looked and acted around him.

The woman was worse than Willow was back in high-school.

It felt almost like Xander was taking advantage of the poor woman.

But she would do her best not to judge, not until she saw more, until she understood more.

Pushing those thoughts aside Buffy climbed up the side of the building and looked through the skylight on the roof. "Score!" She silently cheered as she peeked inside and saw the assembled group of Vampires going through her stuff. Okay, that part was bad but at least she knew they were there.

She wanted to jump down there immediately, especially when she saw one of the skankier vampires pick up her favorite skirt and started to sashay with it in front of her, but the sound of the couple shuffling behind her to get a view stopped that train of thought. She could count on Xander, barely, to look after himself in a fight but that Fred woman, no way.

She was a tooth pick and seemed about as flighty as a rabbit. Buffy couldn't fight that many vampires while worrying about protecting Fred.

"Okay guys, I don't see my weapons trunk down there and we only got two stakes between us." Buffy said trying to think up an excuse. "So how about you two head back over to my dorm and see if it's there and stock us up."

Fred just tilted her head and peered down the skylight, "Oh, there's not that many. Me and Xander can take them, easy!"

Buffy gave her a disbelieving stare before turning it to a pleading one as she looked over to Xander. But to her dismay he had the same confident calculating look as his girlfriend. "Looks doable." Xander said simply, holding out his hand for Fred to take.

"Are you two crazy?" She hissed at them. That trip to the hell dimension must have messed them up more than she thought.

"I may have left something out about our trip home Buffy." Xander said simply as Fred's fingers laced with his and spark of fire stated to circle around their enjoined hands.

The portal Fred was able to inelegantly make was anything but stable, not that either of them cared as they jumped through for freedom. So they were in for quite a shock, a rather painful and disturbing shock, as they tumbled through the portal.

The felt like their insides were rippling and melting apart as they spiraled closer and closer together until there was no difference between them. And what came out of the other side of the portal wasn't what went in. What came out the other side was confused, confused and powerful.

The accident with the portal did something to them. It connected two and made them one. Yet at the same time it made a single entity two.

A silly and oxymoronic thing but it was absolutely true.

And once they learned how to control it, oh the fire they rained down.

It was one of the reasons why Xander was even remotely okay with brining Fred home with him. Because together they were powerful.

"You might want to step back a smidge Buffy." Xander warned as the fire around the couples hands rapidly spread and engulfed the pair, much to the local Slayer's astonishment and horror.

But before even her reflexes could react the fire started to die down, slimming down to a single pillar before most of the flames were simply absorbed into the figure that stood there.

Whatever it was it had Xander's face but everything else was… wrong. The shoulders and chest broader, its back straighter, and it wore the more ridiculous red and yellow outfit she had ever seen. But what really caught her eye the hair.

Its hair was literally made of fire, twisting in the light breeze and radiating enough heat for Buffy to feel it half a dozen feet away. Or maybe this creature was just that hot.

She flinched back instinctively when its eyes snapped open revealing miniature fire balls that regarded her almost blankly. "Yeah, I know." It said in Xander's voice, half shocking her just by the wary and apologetic tone it held, "We've got a lot of explaining to do, but let's handle that after we get your stuff back. Ready Fred?"

Buffy didn't hear a response herself but there must have been one because that thing, Xander, nodded and gave an amused smile. A second later a beam of energy left its hand and turned the glass of the skylight into sand. Flashing Buffy one last lop sided smile the thing floated, actually floated, down its self-made entrance.

Even before the vampires noticed them Xander and Fred fired the first shot, turning the more portly vampire into ash as they descended and taking careful aim for their next target. For a few short minutes they made it rain fire and that made sense it a way.

Because together Alexander Harris and Wilfred Burkle were a storm of fire.

Together they were Firestorm.

* * *

AN: written in 6hours.

I do not own Firestorm, they are the property of DC.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know who Firestorm is he's a composite superhero made from two people into what's basically a ghost with fire and transfiguration powers. When combined one mind handles the physical stuff while the other handles the complex aspects of their powers, or atleast that's how it usually works.

Before DC's reboot there were two versions of this hero. The first one to appear was the college student and the college professor combination. They worked like how I explained above the student doing the fighting while the professor was the brains behind things. The other version was high-school student and girlfriend. While the boyfriend actually handled both the physical and mental aspects of their powers he needed another person to get his abilities to work, and his girlfriend volunteered.

I picked the Fred Xander combo because they're a bit of a mix of both. The relationship with both minds handling certain parts of the powers.

The other option I had for this was Xander and Giles, playing at something akin to the Student professor angle. But Firestorm is more physics than he was magic so Giles didn't fit as well as Fred. Though I may write a shot of this version later.

Anyway, I liked the Fred and Xander version so I went with it, partly for the pairing and partly because I thought it had more options and branches than the Giles version (Though I'll admit I'm not sure how well I'd write Fred). Either way I know for certain that I'm having the Initiative assume that Firestorm was the basis for the Angel mythos.

If I do continue this story it's probably going to either play with the Fire Elemental theme Firestorm constantly touches and/or a further crossover with DC by combining it with one of its animated series. Can't decide if JLU or YJ is the better option.


	17. Pieces of me

**This is kind've a repeat idea, which irritates me on some levels, and honestly if this shot wasn't half way done when I re-found it I wouldn't have finished it.**

**Summary:** He wanted to help, to be a front liner, to be a hero. He got more than he bargained for.

**Story: Pieces of me**

* * *

Buffy was gone.

She just upped and disappeared. Right after she sent that bastard to hell she leaves.

He gave her some sympathy since he understood on some level what she was going through, a certain mummy girl would always cross his mind when he thought about the "star-crossed lovers" thing Willow kept on going on and on about. From where he stood they never ended well.

That was beside the point. Buffy left them, and they couldn't keep up with even the low summer population. If Oz wasn't a werewolf he was sure the guitarist would be sporting at least a broken leg and arm. Willow stayed out of most the action, serving as carefully used bait most of the time. He himself was sporting more than his fair share of bruises and scrapes.

They needed a front liner, a real one. Not a little boy that got his ass tossed aside like a piece of confetti when fighting a fledgling.

So while Giles was away the Xander will play with his off limits books.

He couldn't read most of them but he doubted even Giles knew every weird symbol in the world. Almost to prove that theory Xander found plenty of books oriented to translating words were littered throughout various shelves. From experience he knew how long it took to translate even a page from any foreign tome... and apparently half the time it was busy work Giles gave them... but doing so still bore fruit. At least for Willow and Giles it did, but that night he was going to find a nice juicy apple or so help him... okay he was probably going to do nothing but he'd be pissed.

For a moment he slowed down in his selection to choose which language he knew best to try. While obviously English was the language he knew the best there were few in Giles "Forbidden Section" that were written in that language, besides that they rarely had the juicy stuff in them. Then there was Latin and more recently Japanese.

He was sure that Giles gave the Japanese translation task because of how difficult all the slants and curves were, not to mention all the different writing style the language had. But the joke was on Giles when Xander started to take to the language like a duck to water. Not so much from a natural talent as the he Wanted to learn the language. He's seen enough anime and read enough manga to actually grow an interest.

He still got confused on some parts and words but he was sure he was getting the hang of it.

So, making his decision Xander grabbed a random book in Japanese script and a translation book just in case he misread a swipe and sat down for a long read. He never read the books all the way through, he learned how to scan the chapters for the content he was looking for long ago.

So he had quickly swept through seven books and found nothing that peeked his interest. Most of the information in the book involved demons and how to kill them, making them worthless to him at the moment. But mid-way through his eighth book he found something interesting.

He wasn't sure he was translating it right but it seemed to say Slayer Soul Sword, give or take. And hey if it had the word Slayer in it, it should be of the good. So with that train of thought in mind he scavenged the library looking for the necessary components for the ritual. The ritual itself seemed fairly simple, a little irksome at some parts but he was pretty sure he could do it.

To be honest he was still wary of magic on various levels, if not because of the spells cast on him than because of the spell he mucked up. He had learned his lesson though, maybe not the one Ms. Calendar, whatever she worshipped rest her, or Giles wanted to put across to him or not, but he learned. Intent can affect a spell just as easily as an ill placed ingredient. Wanting revenge while performing a love spell was just asking for trouble. But if his intent was to protect the town and his friends then whatever ritual he was about to try should work, right?

Gathering what he could from the weapons case and supply closet Xander re-read the instructions. "Damn, can't do that here... the school cafeteria maybe..."

The best part of being at Sunnydale high right before dusk in the summer was that there was nobody around, not even Snyder. And it was easy to break into, pathetically so.

When he entered the school kitchen he placed the cutlass he was carrying with him on the stove's burners. Turning on the flames and allowing them to heat the metal while Xander went on to find the last of his needed materials. A ring of salt in the middle of the floor, a picture of water, and a kitchen knife.

Taking a deep breath Xander took off his shirt and re-checked the kanji script to see if he had to do what he was about to do. He may be missing a few words but it was obviously an important part of the ritual. Steeling himself he took the knife and made a rather impressive slash over his heart. "Ack!" Biting back the pain he stepped over to the stove and retrieved the sword. The handle was uncomfortably warm to the touch and the blade blackened from the heat. Moving purposely he made his way to the center of the salt circle and poured the water over the blade, causing it to drip and steam.

Raising the now wet blade and pointing it towards his heart he did his best to sound sincere when he introduced himself to the blade, like the instructions said to "Hello, my name is Xander... What's yours?" And with that the droplets of hot water hit his bleeding wound. It was a simple ritual but a very dangerous one, something Xander should have realized if he was a little more patient or a understood Japanese just a little better.

In honesty the ritual he had found was from an out of date Japanese warrior sect that took being one with their sword to another level. They were effective but fell out of use when more people came out insane or died during in the ritual rather than empowered.

And if he understood the language better he might have prepared himself for the searing pain that ripped through his body as soon as the steamed water touched his blood. A mute scream reached his lips as the salt surrounding him started to lift off the ground, grain by grain, in a green mist. The green powder swirled around him and compressed around the blade like it was trying to crush the metal. The powder shifted a moment later and started to bridge the gap between Xander and the sword, pouring into his wound like an hour glass.

Despite his pain Xander could feel something in him... shift and pull towards the sword, crossing over the bridge of salt with ease. When whatever left him completed its trip the salt started to separate, half closing his wound and the rest melding with the sword giving it a new shape.

When the last of the grains disappeared it signaled the end of the ritual and the magics that had been employed released Xander, causing him to stumble across the floor.

Gasping for breath Xander recited a few strings of curses like they were holy scriptures. "That better have worked" He finally managed before looking at the reworked sword in surprise, "What the?" No longer could the sword be called a cutlass. Its new shape more resembled a bastardized mix of a machete and a gladius. The curved handle fit comfortably in his hand as he held the sword up at a new angle to examine it. "This is so cool."

He stood fully and gave it a few practice swings. Laughing he attempted to do some more complex maneuvers and found himself amazed, as not only did the sword not fall out of his hand but he could FEEL the patterns the sword wanted to move.

It was amazing! It was like he was one with the sword and the sword was one with him. While he didn't know how much help it would be against the vampires he knew sure as anything that he would be a hundred times better than before as long as he had this sword.

* * *

The next night he was proven right. Willow had hacked into the coroner's network again and found three possible risers just waiting for them. They had waited eagerly, okay he waited eagerly, for the first vampire to rise. Pacing back and forth in front of the grave with his sword hidden crudely in his jacket.

When the fledgling finally did decide to appear Xander was getting aggravated and yelled, "Finally!" Attacking before the creature even had a chance to fully dig out of its grave. It s screamed as the now mystic blade sliced easily through its dead flesh.

For a split second it didn't know whether to retreat back into its grave or try to rush forward. Maybe if it stayed as Jim Hacket it would have tried to retreat back into the grave for shelter but now it was a vampire and the power was getting to its head. So it rushed out from its grave, fangs bared fiercely and in an instant had its eye slashed out.

"GUAH!" It screamed bending over by instinct as it grabbed its wounded eye, leaving its neck exposed for the magical blade to cut through. Xander cheered as the dust and ash settled, barely noticing his companions shocked expressions.

"Xander... What was that?" Willow managed to ask

"Me, kicking ass." Xander cheered, "Where was the next one supposed to appear?"

"Lot c, row 6, Michel Dawhare." Oz replied, letting his girlfriend take care of the interrogation.

"Tally ho!" Xander called out pointing his sword in the needed direction.

"Xander, you know what I meant." Willow complained as she followed "It's never that easy to kill a vampire, well not for us anyway. So I'll ask again, and you better tell me the truth mister, what was that?"

Xander was about to make another quip but the stern pressure of the Resolve Face bored in on him making him squirm where he stood. "I... may have done a little spell..."

"You did a spell!? After what happened last time!" Willow yelled in the closest way she could to a snarl. She was still angry about his last try at magic, she was close to forgiving him but not quite there.

"Hey! I only messed that up because I was focused on revenge not lust or love!" He defended his screw up but winced at the hot and cold glares he was getting from his two companions "Anyway, this one worked, see?" He said presenting his sword. "It's a Zanpakto, roughly translated to Slayer Sword."

Willow calmed herself enough to let her scholastic curiosity get the better of her as she studied the sword. Even to her admittedly untrained and inexperienced eyes she could tell the sword was masterfully crafted. The metal was a deep silver color that had been shaped into deadly curved blade that ended with an abrupt point. It was simple but strangely beautiful.

What she did know, due to her limited skill in magic, was that the blade was enchanted, heavily so. One wouldn't notice it unless they really tried, the enchantments were rather passive and... suppressed, which was odd. "Did you do it right? It seems off, suffocated?"

"I better have done it right," He mumbled remembering the pain before continuing, "It feels right Wills."

"So... What does it do?" Oz asked from the side.

"It kills demons." Xander said simply.

"Yeah but how?" He asked just as simply.

"Actually that's a good question, what is it enchanted to do Xander?"

"Uh... Kill demons?"

"Yeah but how? Does it have a heat or purification enchantment, or something like that?" Willow asked as she dug through her lacking knowledge of magic, a rather annoying lack.

"Sword plus one?" Oz added

"Uh... The book didn't really say how, just that it kills demons good" He used the hilt of the sword to scratch the back of his head in an apparent sheepish gesture. "I'm better with Katakana than the kanji script it was written in but it said something like "Pressure of spirit to kill impure"... give or take a word or two."

"That... makes no sense."

"But it kills demons oh so good!" Rubbing his check lovingly against the short sword.

* * *

It had been a week since he got his new sword and each night he would get a vivid dream, or part of one. They were mostly of a voice calling out to him, muffled by white noise and thundering bangs. But that night his dream approached a whole other level.

Hot humid heat filled the night air as he found himself in an over grown graveyard that stretched further than his eyes could see. Grass grew pass his ankles and trees bulged out of the ground enough off set tomb stones. Above him stars tangled themselves into unfamiliar constellations.

All in all, an off but beautiful setting in its own right. Didn't stop him from jumping at shadows though and he wasn't even jumping at the right ones.

The sound of a lighter flickering to life made him jump and twisted his head to the source of the sound. "About time you got here kid." A darkened figure said from underneath the tree, the only thing giving a vague reference to his form was the lit cigarette between his teeth. "Been waiting a while to talk to your dumb ass."

"I respond with a hearty, Hey!" Xander said in his false bravado. Something the figure instantly picked up on and snorted.

"Sure, whatever, kid. Now onto business." The figure leaned against his tree and took a deep drag. "Simply put we're a shitty match."

"Uh, What?" Xander asked confused, "And I'll add in a few more Ws, as in Where am I and who are you?"

A sigh filled with smoke exited the figure's mouth, "You're a stupid little brat aren't you?" The figure eventual ground out with strained emotions, "You have no idea what you've done or what I represent, what this place represents, do you?" He didn't even let Xander answer "Of course not. You just keep on stumbling into shit not thinking anything through. Don't even try to deny it kid, I know you, I AM you."

"Uh... what?"

Another drag of the cigarette was taken, "You should have read the damn instructions more carefully kid. You split your fucking soul for a fancy demon cutter."

"WHAT!?"

"Would you shut up and listen" The man barked, making Xander shrink by sheer instinct. The figure shifted a bit at that, in annoyance at both the boy's habit and himself for causing it, "When you did that spell you took part of your soul and put it into sword."

"I did what?" He asked weakly, not really believing what he did to himself. He was sick of the idea of what Willow and Buffy almost casually did with Angel's immortal soul and now, he broke his own.

"Don't worry, I'm still attached. Just in a new carrying case." The figure actually sounded amused by Xander's panic. "If I have my guess right I'm the parts of you that were influenced by that Soldier on Halloween and just from that I can tell we're going to be a shit match."

"Wait? What, Why?" Xander asked still not fully understanding what was going on around him.

"You'll never be able to hear my name kid, never feel my power, because you're too much of a damn goof." His voice sounded cold and resentful as he spoke, "You showboat your new 'Toy' around like you're a fucking king and when you're not doing that you act like you're trying to be a goddamn knight in shining armor. With the way you are now you'd probably never understand the way I work and never hear my name. Hell you probably don't even know why your mind looks like this, what it means!"

"What is with you and this name crap?!"

"My name is ME!" The figure replied harshly "It's my power, my strength, things I could lend to you. Something that is out of reach for your dumb ass. We have to earn my name but you probably can't even hear a whisper as you are now."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

"Fine, my name is," what could be best called a shattered buzzing filled his ears. Xander stared at the shadowed man confused but the figure just snorted, "Figures, can't even hear a sound. Get out of my sight."

Xander abruptly woke up with the mild surprise of having his sword resting on his lap.

* * *

Xander had related what he knew to Willow and Oz as soon as he could, telling them all he could pick out from what he was told and asking what he should do. Willow just sat there mouth opened for a while, while Oz just shrugged taking everything in stride, "Ask him?"

"But he's an ass!"

"He's you."

"... Damn you Oz."

So he tried, feeling rather stupid talking to a sword. "Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot but um, how can I learn your name?"

A split second later he got a response. "He just told me to go fuck myself..."

Oz snorted, "Seems like a nice guy."

"Shut up Oz"

* * *

**AN: **

**In case it wasn't obvious this is another Bleach idea, don't own. But this time with it being a pure Xander mess up instead of a Willow mess up. And if I'm completely honest I'm not sure which version I like better.**

**Anyway, the focus on this fic would probably center around the Summer of Buffy's absence and Xander trying to figure out what his sword's problem was with him. By my interpretation of the Shingami/Zanpakto relationship is that the sword represents the warriors utter most ideals, ex: duty, power to protect, blind justice, ect and Xander is being forced to take a long hard look at himself to see what his is. **

**Anyway, tell me what you think and peace.**


	18. I Was Wrong

**This idea comes from the idea that everyone thinks that sending someone back in time could fix everything but what if not everyone agrees with what was going to be changed.**

**Middle finger to Peggy Sue.**

**Summary:** He went back to try and fix his greatest screw up, she went after him to stop him.

**Story: I Was Wrong**

* * *

A bolt of static electricity raced desperately across the borders of space and time. Seemingly running away from the bonfire that was trying to engulf it but in reality the fire was trying to keep up. To get ahead of the tiny bolt of electricity before it reached it destination. The fire hoping beyond hope that it arrived first.

On the horizon of time a blip appeared. A bubble of unstable power that tore through space and gave them their opening to return. The tiny bolt sped up its pace, nearly leaving the forest fire in its dust. The fire knew that this race was not about speed but about determination. And as determined as the fire was it knew that that tiny little bolt put more heart into just about everything it did than the fire did in its most serious relationship, or at least the second most serious.

But now it was different. The fire was just as determined as the bolt. It would not lose. It would get there before the blot and stop it from damaging history and destroying their family.

So, as the bolt nosed dived slightly passed the horizon the fire did something different. It forced itself forward, momentarily fighting against time itself to go just an inch further than the static. To arrive earlier, and hopefully stop its friend.

No, not hopefully. Will.

* * *

Reentry from what could be called the Else-when or the Not-place was always strange. One second the fire held no solid form, only existing as a force, the next she was being poured into a familiar frame. Air filled her shocked lungs as everything she was since first entering the Outside filled her new, or is it old, vessel.

A wave of pleasure quickly filled her to her core, which was quickly followed but an unnatural twisting in her stomach.

One hand reached up and covered her mouth as she bent over to contain her lunch, hair draping over her face as she gained control. A control she lost as wave after wave of memories washed over her mind. She was forced to her knees as she lost the lunch her past self had eaten.

Huh, was that banana?

She could hear them calling out to her, her friends. They sounded so young, their voices light without the weight of the world constantly on their shoulders. But in honesty she could barely hear them, her ears buzzed as the memories of her past self caught her up. Or at least they attempted to.

The more "current" memories were jumbled, either by her magic, the nature of her being there or maybe the sheer force of memories that outnumbered the years her body has been alive.

She felt someone tug at her arm, guiding her to her feet.

"I'm going to take her to the nurse." A familiar monotone said as he held her close. She stiffened slightly in his arms, unused to being held by a man so lovingly but soon relaxed as recent memories washed over her. Part of her felt like she was betraying the real love of her life but another part took comfort in the arms of her first and only boyfriend.

"I'm fine." she mumbled, still weak in the knees.

"Willow, you just puked all over the hallway." Huh, Buffy was there too. That was good. She needed the Scoobies help. She had to stop him.

"No" She said shaking her head, "Gotta find Xander." Oz stiffened ever so slightly next to her forcing her to remember that she cheated on him with Xander in high school, "Gotta stop him." Slowly but surely the fog that was her mind started to clear. She needed to locate Xander and keep him under twenty four hour lock down. Waiting for that moment when he arrived from the Outside, if he hadn't already.

"Stop him?" Buffy asked as she and Oz guided her towards the nurse's office, the rest of the hallway keeping clear of the girl with puke still on her chin.

"From changing the past." Her voice started to become steadier as she literally became more comfortable in her own skin, though she was slightly disappointed with her lack of curves at the moment. Damn still developing body.

"What?" Buffy asked as both she and Oz paused.

"He wants to destroy the future." She said loosening her arm from Oz's grasp and wiping her puke from her chin. "I chased him and I think I got here a little before him."

"What?" They asked again, almost dumbly.

Willow ignored them for a moment as she shifted her rapidly growing magic. Magic, memories, souls, they were all connected. Where one went the other two followed in varying doses. And she had a lot of magic to go with her memories. "The short version? I'm future Willow chasing future Xander to stop him from doing something stupid. The long version I rather get out with the whole gang gathered... And we have Xander tied down to something."

As Willow made her way to the library Oz and Buffy shared a glance. One filled with confusion, fear and a little bit of anger.

* * *

"Willow, are you sure you just didn't eat some bad sushi or something?" Xander asked from his pot of the table, sounding none too convinced of the story they were being told.

Through some weird tech a future Xander went back was going back in time and stop an event, that future Willow wouldn't talk about. And through pure magic Willow followed him, trying to make sure the event happened. Yeah, despite everything they've gone through over the last couple of years he just couldn't buy that.

And if the looks on the other members of their group's faces were any indication then he wasn't alone in his doubt. They had all been dragged from what they were doing by the usual emergency phone ladder/drag from the hall way routine they always used to hear this but it just seemed too out there to be believed.

"It's true." Willow said almost uncaringly as she searched his face, visibly restraining herself from touching him. Something that irked Oz quite a bit.

"Uh, Wills? Can you stop staring at me like that? It's kind've freaking me out."

"What?" She asked out loud before blushing slightly as she realized she was staring a bit too intently. "Sorry, it's just… I haven't seen you like this in a long time."

"Well, obviously. If what you're say is even remotely true than he'd be many years younger than what you're used to." Wesley said almost clinically, Willow forgotten how annoying he was pre Angel Investigation days.

"Not like that, I mean look at him!" She waved her hand in her childhood friend's direction, "He's goofy!"

Xander gave an indignant pout while everyone else just seemed to shrug at the common knowledge. Cordelia going so far as to say, "When is he not?"

"Not anymore, or was, or going to be….Whatever, it'll just be easier to show you." The red head said in exasperation as she cupped her hands in front of her, letting out a slow breath containing swirls of green and blue energy.

As she gently molded the ball of energy in her hand, letting it expand to near basketball size, the rest of the room reacted. Jumping out their seats and saying a number of explicative words as they stumbled about.

After a moment of carefully preparing the Viewing Globe she held it out for all to see, "May I present Alexander Lavelle Harris, Commander of Council Field Operations and the snarkiest bastard to ever live."

If it wasn't for the image of a man that was starting to appear in the swirl of colors in the Globe someone may have mentioned that was the first time they had ever hear Willow swear.

The person the Globe started the show could have been Xander aged a decade or three but it could have been him, or an older cousin the still doubtful parts of their minds said. His was taller and broader then the boy they were used to seeing but that could be expected, but the way he stood tall and glared with his single eye made them feel uneasy.

Most of that unease coming from the fact he only had a single eye, the other one hopefully hidden behind the black eye patch his shaggy and graying hair was trying to cover. And that wasn't the only scar they could see.

Healed cuts ridding around the left side of his face, neck full of vampire scars, and those were just the ones they could make out from his rather concealing clothes. Clothes that with a trained eye, like those owned by a Watcher, or inherent by Slayers, were hiding a small arsenal of weapons.

"Yeah, that's not me. Nice try Mrs. Demon but please come along tomorrow for your conciliation prize." Xander said, masking his discomfort and fear with humor like Willow remembered him doing so long ago, instead of punching and belittling it. It was nice to see him like this; too bad it wasn't going to last long.

"I'm not a demon Xander." She said gently, knowing how big of an effect this was having on the boy. Funny how even when she was physically in the same age group as most the occupants in the room she couldn't help but think of them as children. "This is real and that is you… or was going to be you. Paradoxes are always a little complicated to understand, especially when they aren't circular."

"Say we do believe you." Giles said, sounding very stern, almost like the head of the Council he'd someday become. Especially that subtle demon detection spell he was trying to cast. "What do you plan to do when he, uh… arrives." The last part came out awkwardly as he cast a glance to a shifting Xander. If this was to be believed than the 'current' Xander would be replaced like the 'current' Willow was.

Something they have yet addressed, but how they would later on.

"I'm going to bind him." She said simply, letting the ball of energy dissipate into the air. "Make it so he can't jump back again, and then I'm going seal all his future memories away. And after that I'm going to do the same to myself. Should make us just like the Xander and Willow you know… more or less."

There was still some unease and discomfort with, well, everything about the situation but most of the room seemed to be coming around.

"And when he does come around what can we expect." Angel asked from the shadow cast book shelves.

"Well, he won't have those magic tattoos of his or enough time to get a gun, so mostly hand to hand stuff." Willow mused, thinking of how crippled her friend would be without time to prepare, "Just don't let him touch you. He may not know a lot about magic but he's pretty good about lighting things on fire with a touch."

That fact caused Angel to grimace. He couldn't just choke out the opponent when he appeared like initially planned. And honestly that was the only way he could think of, while holding back, to stop the boy. He would go with a swift punch to the face but this was Xander with years more experience, he couldn't be sure that it'd work.

"Now." Willow said with a clap of her hands, "Let's talk about how I managed to get here. How are things going with the Sisters of Jhe?" Receiving only blank looks Willow felt a little put off, "You have run into blue she demons right?"

* * *

Apparently in order to time travel not only did you have to leave your bodies behind but an opening in space. A rip the fabric of Earth's reality to shift through and enter their past selves, filling them with memories as simply as pouring water into a half full glasses.

Unfortunately for the time travelers that meant they had to stop at every rip in their personal history. For a normal person they'd be lucky to have one, but for a Scooby there were dozens. Apparently future Willow and Xander had done this dance tens of times over.

And the scary thing was that despite all the power this new Willow was displaying the other Xander escaped every time.

Willow said it was basically because he was the Batman of the group, apparently the way she said it was humorous because she giggled a bit and then remembered the movie hadn't come out yet for them to get the joke. After her brief laugh she went on to elaborate how he didn't become the head of Field Operations by being stupid.

Something that made Wesley sputter as he finally remembered she had told them Xander's future title earlier. Saying how it was impossible for a boy not of one the Watcher lines to reach such a position, and that there wasn't even such a position in the whole organization.

Willow just shrugged and said things change. And that "They were basically the Council" in the future, indicating herself, Giles, Buffy and Xander with a swipe of her hands.

But to the point, the current rip in reality was set to be caused by a group of demons under the name of The Sisterhood of Jhe. A group of fairly strong and resilient blue skinned female demons.

As they had found with their first encounter with said group, dispelling near any doubt that Willow's words to them were false.

Not that it made any of them feel better.

The difference between her and the Willow who was supposed to be there were too many and too great. It was almost like talking to a friend you hadn't seen in a long time, seeing how much they changed in full view and it hurt.

Especially for Oz who noticed she didn't feel comfortable with his touches. Like she didn't love him anymore.

Something that was very telling about their future.

She was of course trying to make it work and not to act too out of line with her friends but she was failing, and miserably at that.

She wasn't their Willow and they weren't her Scoobies.

It was as simple and as horrible as that.

Xander being a bit extra resentful, not only for the loss of his best friend but the twenty four hour watch he was put under. He had someone following him at all hours of the day. In class, to school, from school, through the hallways, to the Bronze. He even had Angel staking out outside his bedroom window!

Things really couldn't get any worse in his eyes.

Oh well, at least it gave him time to patch things up with Oz. He missed having a guy friend his age and really did feel shitty about what he and Willow did to him. Honesty the whole Fluke thing was one of his biggest regrets.

Hey! Maybe that's what he was going back in time to stop! But then why would Willow be trying to stop him? This whole thing just wasn't maki- Gikkk!

"You okay there?" Oz asked as Xander stopped walking beside him and nearly fell on his face.

"Yeah, just tripped over my feet." Xander said as he righted himself and brushed his hair back with a hand. One eye peering back at Oz as he did so, "You know man, I never did think I ever said 'sorry'."

Oz stiffened, really not wanting to talk about the 'Fluke' as Willow called it. "It's alright man." It really wasn't but he hoped it was enough to get the boy to stop.

"No, no its not. I should have been quicker, just by a split second and then the kid could have lived. I know it's just empty words but I figure an apology would at least help, me if no one else." Xander mused, left eye still closed. "Then again, you don't have to even think about that for like another eight years."

"Wh-" Oz started, eyes widening in realization of what was happening before a fist slammed itself firmly into the side of his head. The brief moment of disorientation was soon followed by blackness and two more hits ruined what little resistance to damage his werewolf physiology was granting him.

"Sorry about that too but you probably won't ever remember any of this soon." The time displaced man said as he walked away and tried to open his eye. It looked like even in a younger body he wasn't going to get the perception back.

Oh well, he's made due without for that long he could deal with it for a little bit longer.

Besides, two more jumps and he would be there.

Two more jumps in time and he could stop Destiny from shattering.

* * *

**AN:**

**Like all my ideas this is pretty rough and I can see plenty of places I could expand with this. The relationships between the two future versions and the people around them would particularly fun. But for now it stays as it is.**

**As I said above this idea is kind've a middle finger to all those "Go back in time and fix everything!" stories. Actually, now that I think about it this idea is kind've like Terminator with Willow as Reese and Xander as Arnie. **

**Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed and please tell me what you think.**

**Ps: Bonus points to anyone who can figure out the event Xander is trying to stop. **


	19. Face Paint

**A Yahf idea, feel free to get a gun. I think this is one of my few pure Yahf stories, you know where it's just the costume that makes a difference instead of reawakening something. Though I can't take credit for the idea, there's a challenge out there that has this exact idea and I fell in love with it.**

**And like most of my other shots I pray for the day that I have the skill/time/muse to write this as a full story.**

**Summary: **Bad luck, common sense and face paint. That's all it took to change three friends lives forever.

**Title: Just Face Paint**

* * *

"Yeeeah, I'm not buying it."

"What?" Buffy asked as she closed her locker, Xander leaning next to it and Willow just behind her as they waited for her to collect her things so they could head to lunch. She had just finished her mini-rant about how unfair Snyder was being and how the troll of a principle had ruined the one day the night life would give her a day off.

"I'm just saying I don't think things are going to be as quiet as you think tonight." Xander said with a shrug as the herded themselves to the lounge.

"Well, according to Giles tomorrow's 'stay in and watch a movie' night for the undead. And he tends to be right about these things, what with being a Watcher and all." Buffy snipped out, her ruined mood lashing out towards her friend just a bit as he seemed to poke more holes in her possible relaxation time.

"And when has anything like that worked for us before?" He asked rhetorically, deciding to take a seat with the girls instead of getting a drink like he planned. "I mean, think about it! Every time we try to do something that should be safe something spooky pops its head out to ruin our day!"

"Xander, I think you're exaggerating again." Willow said, trying to take charge of the situation and maybe cheer up her only girl friend with any silver lining she could find.

"Oh come on Wills, you know I'm right" He raised a hand and started to hold one up for every example he could think of, "Cheerleading tryout, a substitute teach, a trip to the zoo, an new internet buddy, a talent show, parent teacher night, a foreign exchange student." He stopped giving examples when he realized he was running out of fingers, "All things that were supposed to be nice, safe and normal that blew up in our faces. And since Halloween is an excuse for humans to act like morons I don't even want to know what those wacky vampires are going to be up to."

Buffy's shoulders slumped as she realized her friend was probably right. Giles may know book smarts and demon traditions but Xander could usually point out the obvious thing that they, sometime purposely, overlooked. Damn him and his pessimism.

"Well, at least we can still have fun picking out our costumes." Willow offered, nudging Buffy slight as once again she tried to cheer up the Slayer up.

"I say something with a big sword. Just in case." Noticing Willow's glare for the first time all Xander could say was, "What?"

* * *

Apparently Xander had said something wrong earlier. He didn't know what, as he was trying to be serious for once, but he was used to eating his foot. He'd give them a few hours to cool down and then apologize, until then though he was stuck searching through the new costume store for something he could follow his own advice with.

While just going as a soldier and packing a few stakes in his belt was an option it didn't have the umph he really wanted. Besides, it was Halloween. Probably the one day of the year where they wouldn't have to hide their weapons in over stuffed backpacks and duffle bags.

Unfortunately, he was unlikely to afford anything more than twenty dollars, twenty two at most, and that'd mean no lunch or Bronze for him for a few days, maybe even a week.

Turning down the medieval section he began to wince just by glancing at the price for some of the knight armors. Seriously? Forty dollars just for a fancy chest plate and helmet? What kind of idiot would buy that?

… Okay, he would if he had the money but that was beside the point. The point was he didn't have the money to get anything fancy, having to settle for bottom shelf items and hoping for the best.

Hunching over he started to shift through the cheaper costumes his eyes eventually fell onto a Robin Hood costume. It wasn't even one of those classic green tights with a funny hat version that he could convert into a Green Arrow costume, but one of the those more 'realistic' ones with dark greens and deep brown cloth with a hood.

It wasn't even that good. Just a cloth costume that didn't bother with fake leather, plastic armor. Or even fake arrows. But it was cheap, barely more than twelve dollars.

It would do though.

Plus, he was going to raid the library for weapons anyway so the lack of fake bow and arrows was really just a bonus. And he could use those work boots he uses when he helps his uncle Rory at the shop to make look more like was trying to be pragmatic version of the costume instead of just being poor.

Plan and course of action set in mind Xander paid for his costume and made to leave the store but something in the corner of his eye stopped him. A pair of familiar looking girls skimming through the isles, searching for something to wear for the following night. Coincidences seemed to be a rather common thing in his hometown, then again they probably just ran there after school like he did so there shouldn't have been any real surprise.

Swallowing down a bit of nervousness he started to approach them, intending to apologize for whatever mess his mouth got him into earlier.

"Uh, hey guys."

"Hey Xander." The girls coursed out in near harmony, showing none of the irritation from earlier that day. So maybe whatever he said didn't dig him as big of a grave as he thought.

"Got yourself a costume already? Buffy asked after it became obvious Xander wasn't going to say anything.

"Uh, yeah. Robin Hood." He said a bit weakly as he waved the bag in front of him. That brief question seemed to be enough for him to push out his apology, so with a breath he made his attempt. "Look, I don't know exactly what I said earlier to upset you guys but whatever it was I'm sorry. You know how my mouth is, it just keeps on yapping and yapping until it says something that earns me a slap on the back of the head. So, yeah, wanted to apologize for the latest one of those."

Both girls gave him amused smiles as he fumbled through his apology. It was cute in an awkwardly endearing way. Besides, neither of them were really mad at him, just at the point he made. Or Buffy was, Willow was upset over how he presented it with little care or notice on how it was effecting Buffy.

But he was male and such stupidity should be expected.

A sentiment Buffy shared and easily forgave as she waved her hand in front of her, "Don't worry about it Xander. You didn't really do anything wrong, just pointing out how much our lives suck."

Xander scratched the back of his head in both confusion and sheepishness, as he still had little clue what they were talking about. He said crap about that all the time so pin pointing exactly what he said was probably impossible. It could have been the Halloween thing he guessed, but at the same time it was just as likely his comment about not being able to trust the man holes caused the brief cold shoulders.

"So, what are you guys thinking of picking out?" He asked, trying to delay and detain the awkward silence that would have descended.

"The classics!" Willow all but cheered as she held up a prepackaged ghost sheet, something that made Buffy cringe.

"Willow, are you sure you don't want to try something a little more… well, better?" The blonde said trying to subtly convince her friend to try something different, something that might drag Xander's eyes towards the red head and show him that she's dating material.

"Hey, now I remember this!" Xander said, slamming his fist into his hand in fake realization. "Didn't you go as that last year, and the year before that… and the year before that." He was all for a costume change for the girl himself, she has gone as the same thing since they were ten.

It got boring, even if she could hide a small arsenal under that sheet.

Willow for her part just pouted as her friends seemed to tag team her for their amusement. She liked the ghost costume; it was nice, traditional, and safe. There was nothing wrong with that and they didn't need to poke fun at it.

"Oh, come on Willow. Don't be like that, I'm sorry, just drop the puppy glare." Xander whined as he tried to shield himself from the kick puppy pout his childhood friend had on, hiding behind an amused Buffy to lessen the effects of the stare.

"Children behave." Buffy said with a false authority while trying to restrain her giggles. She enjoyed the normal moments like that, a refreshing breath of air that let her momentarily forget what she was and what her responsibilities were.

Like a man trapped in a desert taking sips from a canteen and pretending to be at the beach.

Still, she needed to get the conversation back onto the 'Willow gets a different costume' conversation especially since she now had Xander backing her. But how could she play this? She wanted Willow to try something a little more adventurous but she wasn't sure how to do so with Xander standing right next to her.

He was as much of a hindrance as he was helpful in this situation.

'Then again', she thought as she took a glance at Xander's costume choice, 'Maybe there were some options'

Tugging at the bag in Xander's hand Buffy made her idea known, "Oooh, we could do a group thing. Like a dark ages thing. Like Dungeon and Dragons or whatever!" She said excitedly. She seen some of the things those characters wear and if it didn't get the girls the desired reaction from the men they like little else will.

Releasing Xander and grabbing Willow she rushed them over to medieval section with a bare, "See you later Xander!"

All said teen could do was wave in confusion, "Bye… girls are so weird."

* * *

In the end Buffy took Xander's advice, deciding to go with a Joan of Arc look to go with her favorite sword from Giles' weapon stash. As much as she hated to admit it her friend was probably right and even if he wasn't it didn't hurt to be prepared.

Luckily the costume she got at Ethan's was one of those tight fitting fantasy armor deals that showed a bit of boob and hugged her curves instead of hiding them. So if she did see Angel he'd be seeing just what he was missing by letting his interest wander to that bimbo Cordelia. Admittedly she didn't have as much to work with as the brunette but she knew how to work with what she did have, and she knew how to work it well.

Then there was the added bonus of her costume choice, along with Xander picking out some Robin Hood like costume, allowed her to convince Willow to try something a little more… daring. Getting the shy girl to go with the idea of a group theme.

Noting much, just a sexy sorceress outfit… Okay it took a bit of convincing and a fair amount of trickery along with the matching costumes idea but she got the red head to agree.

It was rather amusing to watch the girl try to cover up her partially exposed thigh as they made their way to the school and into the library. Where, much to Buffy's delight and Willow's mortification, Xander was waiting for them with Giles.

"Hey guys!" She said cheerfully as she watched Xander's gaze hit back and forth from each girl, letting out incomprehensible words in greeting as he did so.

"Yes, now if you're done breaking the poor boy's mind would one of you mind telling me why you feel the need to raid the Weapons Cabinet?" Giles asked, purposely and pointedly looking the girls in the face.

Buffy shrugged her plastic armored shoulders, "Xander pointed out that even if it's supposed to be quiet with our luck some super demon is going to pop out of the ground, so yeah, better safe than sorry. Besides, we picked out costumes that they'd blend in, see?" She did a little twirl.

Giles opened his mouth to give some sort of protest but it fell short on his lips as his mind wondered over the past year. He opened it again to say that they deserved a night to relax but closed it again as he realized on some level they were trying to be responsible, on some level.

"Fine." He said reluctantly, "But do try to keep them in the sheaths. I have a hard enough time hiding our supplies here without people wondering why you lot are walking around with actual weapons."

"Thanks Giles!" Buffy bubbled as she walked over to grab her sword with Xander hot on her trail.

"Dibs on the daggers!"

Willow for her part just sighed and followed after her pointy object obsessed friends.

* * *

The kids weren't due for another handful of minutes at least so the trio of friends were just hanging around the student lounge waiting, talking about mundane and random things. Something Willow enjoyed immensely.

Back when… back when Jesse was alive these conversations would have been filled with guy things like comic books, sport scores and girls. While she strangely didn't mind the last one, which she put off to just being numb to it, it was nice to have a more neutral conversation.

Both Xander and Buffy seemingly uncomfortable, or at least hesitant to say anything too relationshippy with the other around. Either because of Xander's dissipating crush, thank god for that by the way, or because of his hate for Buffy's current, or attempted, beau.

"Oooh, I almost forgot!" Buffy said, breaking away from their conversation as she dug through her bag. "I thought, since we're doing this whole Dungeon and Dragons dealie, that we should do it right." Finally finding what she was looking for and held it out proudly.

"What's that?" Xander asked rhetorically as he looked at the tube in her hand.

"Face paint!" Buffy gave a winning smile that started to wane as she saw her friends just weren't as excited as she was. In fact they looked rather confused.

"And why do we have face paint?"

"Because that's what Dn'D people do… right?" She actually seemed nervous about that, Willow mused. She was trying to fit in with them and be a little more geeky, something she did every so often and usually fell short.

Like now.

Willow tried to come to her friends rescue and say that, yeah, she was right. But it came out in that usual stammer babble that she got when she didn't know what to really say. Eventually she did what she usually did in such situations, look at Xander and hope he'd save her.

So with a snort and a roll of his eyes Xander took the paint from Buffy, putting a dab of the red paint of his finger and swiping it across Willow's nose.

"Eeep!"

And then did the same thing to Buffy.

"Hey!"

And then to himself.

"Now we are ready for war!" His unoccupied hand raised in some sort of call for victory, looking so silly that the girls forgot their indignation and giggled.

And with that the three teens with red stripes flicked across the bridges of their noses went to chaperon a bunch of screaming children.

* * *

When one invokes or thinks of Janus they think of only one of his titles and duties as a god.

Change. The most powerful and long lasting source of chaos, the type that was inevitable to happen. But they often forget his other power that comes with being the god of doorways.

Janus was a god of time.

Looking into the past and present as easily as a mortal looked from left to right.

Peering into the near infinite expanse at his leisure and entertainment.

Entertainment such as his jester of a disciple Ethan Ryane was giving him.

Ah, Ethan. One of his more devoted and entertaining of followers. Creating chaos through change for both their mutual entertainments.

Sure most of the changes he invokes do not last long but they are amusing none the less.

Like his latest project. To turn that bastardized American holiday into a night to remember. Shifting all the costume goers into their characters for a night.

Oh, just think of what the long term repercussions could be!

It was such an amusing idea that Janus decided to put a personal hand into a good deal of the transformations. Sure he was a bit lazy with some of the changes, such as just letting some old demon blood wake up in some children while in others he stuffed in some ancestors memories, but with others he would do the research.

Plucking the information from the mortals mind to find out what they were supposed to be and then shifting through mortal history to find the best match.

Like he was doing for the Slayer and her little friends.

A warrior, a mage and an archer with red face paint?

He was sure he had seen something like that in, what, a decade or so into the future as some mortal game?

Eh, he didn't know and he didn't care. It fit close enough.

And so attaching the three costumes to a game that has yet to even be more than a passing idea Janus moved onto the next costume with little care.

* * *

She/he/they felt off.

Like there were pieces of their self further down the black paved road even if they were complete and uninjured where they stood. Walking down the street he/she/they noticed that the source of the feeling was moving towards them too.

Eventually he/she/they would meet, two earlier than the third but ignoring each other till the set was complete, and stood in a circle to examine those in front of them.

The first of them was a short blonde woman with hazel eyes and decorated armor, a long sword sheathed on her back.

Next was a red headed woman with green eyes wearing tight fitting robes that showed off a good deal of her legs, she leaned casually against the staff in her hand as she looked at the other two intently.

And last was the only male of the group, his dark hair and eyes hidden in the shadow of the hood he dawned. He was also the most obviously armed of the three, with two daggers equipped to his belt and a quiver of arrows on his back to accompany the bow in his hand.

Each one of them had to wonder how could three people look so different, and obviously be so different, and yet feel so much alike. The only visible thing they had in common was a line of red paint over their noses.

And they felt, no they knew, that they knew each other but they couldn't place their finger on how or where.

"So," The sole male said breaking the silence jovially, "Where do I know you two lovely ladies from? The Rose perhaps? Hmmm, no? Fellow freelancers?"

The armored woman seemed to snort while the one in robes gave him an amused smile and answered, "More along the lines of a Freelancer myself but I can't say I can place your face. Perhaps a name would help serah?"

"Ah, I bet it would!" The man said before giving an overly exaggerative bow, "Garratt Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall, at your service."

"Okay, you have to be the worst knock off I have ever seen." The blonde said harshly as she glared at the introduced man, "You look nothing like me, and seriously, anyone who though I was a man is going to get a serious talking to by my good friend here." She gripped the handle of her blade for emphasis.

"And now I feel offended." The man said easily but taking the threat with care, shifting his stance ever so slightly to prepare for the attack.

"Don't you two think it's probably better to focus on why three people claiming to be Hawke and more on where we are?" The red head said trying to prevent a confrontation.

"Oh, now you're saying your Hawke too?"

She nodded and even gave a curtsy, "Marian Hawke."

"At least she got the name right." The blonde mumbled, trapped in random thoughts on the situation. Both on how she got there and why she couldn't put up more of a protest that these were obvious imposters. It was like she knew they weren't lying.

A familiar twang of an arrow being released ripped her out of thoughts. Snapping her head to where the sound came from she saw the male Hawke already nocking another arrow and looking intently in the distance.

Glancing over to see what he was staring at made her instantly unsheathe her sword, in the corner of her eye she could see the last of their makeshift group flaring with arcane powers.

Demons, dozens of them, in more shapes and sizes than she had ever seen. They ran about randomly causing chaos, destruction and injury in their wake. But it seemed a small part of the swarm deemed them interesting enough to target.

"For the record I blame this weird dream on the Enchantment Soup I had before going to bed." The man's comment went somewhat ignored as the flock of Hawkes dove into the enemy with abandon.

They'd figure out what was going after everything was dead.

Just like usual.

* * *

AN:

So in case it wasn't obvious, or for those not in the know, this is a crossover with Dragon Age 2 with each of the Scoobies dressing as a different version of Hawke. Don't own any of it.

Anyway, there are going to be longer term effects of 'sharing the same soul' even if it was only for a little while. One of them is probably going to be keeping a chunk of the skills and memory given, and another is going to a forced perception change of each other.

Not going to lie, if I do continue this idea it'll probably end up in a B/W/X relationship. I enjoy them and there aren't enough of them.

Another thing I'm going to do if this idea does continue is a chapter or two of prep work for the story. Showing how things are a bit different then cannon in this story. Ex: Earlier magic lessons for Willow with Ms. Calendar, Xander working out so he never had to rely on Angel to watch his back again, Buffy ptsd still in effect in varying doses, ect.

The Hawkes roughly (May need DA2 experience to understand), Xander Hawke is a rouge who hit the charming/joking button far too often and is romanced to Isabella. Willow Hawke is a mage Hawke who hit diplomacy as often as she could and slammed on the angry responses when situations deemed it, romanced to Merrill and was a dabbling blood mage till the loss of her mother. Buffy was a warrior who alternated freely between the angry and joking responses, she's romanced to Anders. All of them tried to help the mages. Each one also paired with the Love Interest the best appealed to them. Basically how things would have gone if they played the games.

Anyway,this was rough as hell as usual but I hoped you enjoyed it enough to tell me what you think.

Peace.


	20. Their Child

**Another insane Xander with a bit of a different take on the usual possession power up and Zeppo episode. **

**Summary: **No one sane would so willingly jump into Vampire Slaying, and unfortunately Xander wasn't.

**Title: Their Child**

* * *

He was a broken child.

They knew that when they came to him, first her and then him. But to see the child lying in his bed crying was just so heart breaking.

"Come now my little one, there is no need to cry." The woman said as she slid her dark finger through his brown hair, her voiced accented form lands far from his own. Her motherland; or what the boy perceived to be her mother land. "Tell maman what is wrong."

He mumbled something intangible as his body snuggled deeper into the bed, becoming younger and younger as the minutes trickled by. He would eventually stop at the age of six; he always stopped at six when he came to them. It was his safety age, where he was at his most innocent, where he felt the safest.

But he rarely ever came to them like this. So sad, so devastated. Whenever he came to them they were a happy little family. They played, they hunted, they talked, they ate. It was near as idealistic as it could be, sure there were a few arguments but they were family. When he was there he was meant to be happy or at least have them help him through whatever was troubling him.

"Maman can't help if you don't tell her what is wrong." She said soothingly as she urged him to talk. He didn't answer, just sniffled and started to drift off.

Her green eyes looked up from the child to meet startling blue. The man staring down at the scene in concern had no real ethnicity. Traces of many ancestries could be seen in his frowning features, his tall sturdy build kneeling over the bed inspecting the now young boy with great worry. But underneath his caring visage, at the heart of who he was, he was solider, a warrior.

She, a huntress, found that very appealing.

But now wasn't the time for that. They needed to know what was going on. So she gave him something he was very familiar with.

An order.

"Get out there and find out what happened."

The man nodded and blinked out of existence while she hummed a lullaby to her little pup. "Hush little one, all will be well soon."

* * *

The body of Xander Harris sprung up from his bed with a smoothness that was unnatural for the boy. The body stretched its limbs as the current occupant got reacquired with it.

After cracking his new neck he started to rummage through Xander's closet and drawers until he came out with a suitable uniform of a black t, dark green over shirt, and blue jeans. To complete the outfit he grabbed a bright yellow squirt gun and concealed it effectively on his person.

Now that he was ready it was time to move. Something hurt his boy and he was going to find out what it was. Whether it was going to be the hard or the easy way he was up to his boy's little friends.

* * *

Rupert Giles was sitting in his library reading more about the blue demons they had dealt with the night earlier. He believed he had found them in a vague reference in his current reading under the name the Sisterhood of Jhe. So as he made his way through the library to grab a book he believed to have more information on said group the doors to the library open.

Turning his gaze towards the door he saw his young companion Xander walk in. He winced slightly as he remembered the verbal lashing the boy took the other night from the combined efforts of Willow and Buffy.

While he could agree with most of what they were saying he didn't think they needed to be so… forceful about it. Buffy certainly didn't need to man handle him and Willow didn't need to say he got in the way, even if he did.

"Mr. Giles." The boy said formally with a tone unfamiliar to the older man's ear.

Again he winced. They boy must have blamed him and Faith for not intervening the night prior. "Good morning Xander." The man greeted ready to continue on about how he was sorry for the night prior but the words that met his greeting stopped him dead.

"I am not Xander but I would like to know why he is not out."

Giles looked at the boy blankly for a moment, "Excuse me?" He asked as mildly as he could while taking in the boy's posture and features.

He was standing in an 'at ease' stance with his feet shoulder length apart, arms crossed behind his ram rod straight back and his head held high. That was not how Xander Harris stood nor was the seemingly permanent scowl on the boy's face. But a hint that should have clued him into the fact that this was not Xander right away was the shockingly blue eyes staring right at him.

"Xander is not in control at the moment, or rather he refuses to take control. He won't come out and refuses to say what is wrong. So I have come to investigate." His speech was more formal, more proper, compared to Xander's and there was an accent he couldn't place.

"I see." Giles said slowly as his mind raced through his inner catalogue trying to find reference to any type of spirits, demonic or otherwise, that would want or even allow the host to have control. Some of those thoughts weren't pretty but he couldn't be sure on any of them.

Deciding just to bite the bullet he asked, "And exactly what are you?" He figured be its intentions pure as it was claiming or a falsehood like he suspected it would tell him. He was mostly banking on the ego all their enemies seem to have.

"A very concerned spirit." The… being using Xander barked, "Now tell me what happened."

Giles was starting to get nervous. This sprit was on edge and that was never a good thing when it came to the super natural.

"Uh, Giles? Why are you and Xander staring each other down?" Giles jumped at the new voice while the being inhabiting Xander showed no sign of surprise; in fact he never took his eyes off Giles and was paying attention to the new comers through the corner of his eye.

In their eyes Buffy, Willow and Oz just walked into the strangest sight in the world. Xander and Giles were staring each other down and Giles looked like he was ready to jump out of his skin.

Giles' eyes flickered from the group of teens to the one he believed to be possessed. "That's not Xander." The man quickly pressed out hoping to stop anything rash from happening immediately.

Unfortunately he forgot he was dealing with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who seemed to have the motto of stake first and ask later. A policy she played out with extreme prejudice when her friends were involved.

The girl started to race across the room at a speed that would make most professional sprinters jealous but was quickly stopped when the possessed Xander pulled something out from behind him and pointed it at her head.

She wanted to laugh at herself and him when she saw what it was. "Seriously? A water gun?" After she said that the yellow coloring of the gun started to fade away for a deep grey. "Um… sorry?" she said as the toy gun started to look very real.

"Been a while Princess, Red." The man inhabiting Xander said nodding his head to Buffy and Willow in greeting, lowering the gun just a bit once it seemed like he wasn't going to get jumped.

Both girls scrunched their faces as they tried to trace back to where they heard those nicknames before. Willow had heard that name about a hundred dozen different times but no one called Buffy Princess. Well there was one but he wasn't real or wasn't real anymore... but he was... No, it couldn't be... could it? No, he went away with Lady Useless... But Xander remembered some of that military stuff... "Soldier Guy?"

"Xander likes to call me Steve." He said off handedly, he didn't have a name but his boy decided to give him one. Steve Rodgers, some sort of comic book hero.

"B-but, HOW!"

The body shrugged as the spirit answered, "Xander didn't want me to leave, so I stayed." He explained like it was the simplest thing in the world. And maybe it was.

Well, to him, not the rest of the Scoobies.

"Why would he want that?"

Again the soldier shrugged, obviously not caring one bit.

What he did care about was the fact his boy wasn't coming out, why he was crying. And god help him, he would have an answer before the day was up even if he had to knee cap every last one of his little friends.

* * *

**AN:**

**So the basic idea is that Xander is so lonely/scared/crazy he ask the spirits to stay with him, filling in the roles in his mind he thought he needed. In this case parents.**

**So he's the crazy kid with his parents living in his head.**

**Anyway, the plot deals with the two spirits taking turns moving Xander's body around as they try to find a way to make him come out while seeing how the Scoobies are dealing with the whole situation.**

**I have an idea of them being approached by the Mayor with a very tempting offer and end up working for him.**

**Tell me what you think and peace.**


End file.
